


The Bitter Dragon and His Sweet Princess

by dee430 (tuzitokki)



Series: La Cien Monde de Ciel [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2019-01-05 16:32:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12193587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuzitokki/pseuds/dee430
Summary: Natsu has been acting strange since the X791 GMG. The King of Fiore has made an official request to Fairy Tail to take care of the disturbing events around the country. Sightings of dragons are reported around Magnolia. To top it all off, two new mages join Fairy Tail, and the dragon slayers smell something strange. How will the members of Fairy Tail cope with all these problems?





	1. Bitterness

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in fanfiction.net, this story has been on hiatus for over three years. I have no idea anymore if I'll be able to finish it; I have my notes on the original plot but I don't really remember the feel of the story, or where I wanted it to go. Read at your own risk.

Natsu was drunk. Very, very drunk. But he didn't mind, since it made him forget, made him happy, if only for a few hours. He knew somewhere in the back of his barely coherent mind that he would regret drinking so much - he always did - but right now he didn't care, because all he wanted, all he needed was to forget.

Three years. Three years have passed since that day. And every year, on the same day, he would drink his piteous self to oblivion, hoping to forget but never quite succeeding.

He hated it. Hated the feeling that had never quite left him since that incident. It was there, lingering in the back of his mind every moment like some damn shadow he couldn't shake off. Sure, he still acted like the Natsu that everyone at Fairy Tail knew. But the shadows were always there, hovering, ready to pounce anytime he let down his guard.

All of his friends would describe him as strong, the fire that kept their guild alive, and most of all, dense. Sure he admits to denseness in some things, like with Freed's runes and Levy's books on languages and even little Wendy's healing herbs. But he wasn't dense when it came to other matters like serious feelings regarding girls. Mostly he just pretended to be because, well, it was just so  _troublesome._  Feelings for friends and family and fighting were okay because everyone knew that those things were important and he would gladly burn anyone who said otherwise to a crisp. But when it came to feelings for a specific person, count him out. That was just too messy and cost more energy than it was worth.

At least, that had been his stand.

The day he'd met Lucy in Hargeon, something in him had shifted. At first he'd wondered what it was - he wasn't as dense as most people thought, but he could still be downright slow at times - but soon realized that he had felt something for the blonde right away, something different from what he felt for the others in Fairy Tail. It was even different from what he'd felt for Lissana, which as far as he knew was as close as he'd come to falling in love with someone (her disappearance had played a big part as to why he avoided anything resembling romance). So even if he'd been the one to bring her to Fairy Tail, he'd tried to ignore her. He'd purposefully call her the wrong name, ignore her, be rude, anything to avoid the trap he knew would spring of he let it.

And then an old, almost forgotten memory of Igneel in one of their lessons had resurfaced.

_Natsu, pay attention and remember these last few words. Never forget this one fact, even if you forget the rest of today's lesson: a dragon has only one life partner. Once our heart has been given, no matter what, we cannot give it to another. So be careful in who you give it to, because you won't get another chance. Understood?_

Natsu had nodded his head, serious for once. The usually loud, reckless, and not-a-little-arrogant dragon Igneel had spoken so seriously that little Natsu had sworn to never forget.

Back then he'd had only a little idea of what his father had been talking about. He'd only been a kid after all. But after meeting Lucy...

After that night he'd quit ignoring her. Instead he'd found reasons and excuses to always be with her, going as far as to trick her to be his teammate whereas before he'd avoided taking jobs with others like it was the plague. He'd trespass into her apartment - although he wouldn't call it exactly that, since she always left her window open - trail her at the guild, always find jobs for them to do. He'd even started agreeing to take the more dangerous jobs with Erza and Stripping Ice Princess just so he'd have backup protecting her if something went wrong.

And despite all that, he'd still failed.

That day, he hadn't been able to do anything. He'd been so focused on that bastard; he hadn't even noticed where Lucy had been standing. Usually he would be near her during situations like that, but the arrival of Future Rogue had shaken him up too much.

When the other dragon slayer had unleashed an attack, he'd been frozen like one of the sculptures that Gray hid in his freezing apartment (Natsu had found out both facts when he'd played a prank on the Ice Bastard). All he'd been able to do was stand there and watch as the blast of killing magic had headed towards Lucy.

And then the hooded figure - the future's Lucy - had suddenly jumped in front of her counterpart, taking the blow. Natsu hadn't felt relieved, though. If anything, he'd felt even more of a failure. He hadn't been able to save either of them.

After the first few seconds of stunned grief, he'd finally been able to move, but he hadn't known what to do. So he'd just stood there, watching Lucy die - and it didn't matter if she was from the future, Lucy was still Lucy no matter where or what or  _when_ she came from - even as the Lucy from their time watched. If he'd been asked, even now, he still wouldn't be able to describe what he'd felt then, what he could still feel  _now_ , even after two years. It was a mixture of indescribable grief and immeasurable rage. Rage at Lucy for daring to leave him. Rage at Rogue for killing the one that held his heart. Most of all, rage directed inward for not being strong enough, fast enough to save her.

He'd snapped out of his daze when he'd noticed Rogue moving in for another attack. He'd moved immediately then, determined to save Lucy, to protect her future, no matter the cost. Fairy Tail mages didn't kill, but at that moment he would have unhesitatingly murdered Rogue. It hadn't come to that, though. The opening of the Eclipse Gate and the arrival of the seven dragons had come upon them before they could finish their battle, and after that Natsu had been able to fight Future Rogue. However, the man had died at the hands of a rogue dragon trying to save his past self, saying that he wanted to be given a chance to become a different man than what he'd ended up as.

After that things had started going in their favor again. Igneel, Metallicana and Grandeeney had come along with other dragons to tell them how to save their future. It had required someone who had a connection to time and the different parallel worlds, someone like a Celestial Mage. Lucy had unhesitatingly offered herself to be absorbed into the Eclipse, but Natsu had vehemently protested. Yukino had then stepped forward, but before she could speak up, Ultear had arrived, flushed and breathless. She'd been able to hear everything via a surveillance lacrima, and had volunteered.

"You need someone who could use Time Magic, right? What better choice than a Time Mage?"

Meredy had cried then, but she hadn't tried to stop her surrogate mother. She knew what Ultear was trying to do; atone for their past sins. Further proof was when Ultear had asked that the rest of Crime Sorcier be absolved from their previous charges, and the king had quickly agreed.

And so Ultear had offered herself to the Eclipse. She'd done it with a smile for Jellal and her beloved surrogate daughter, and she was content.

As soon as she'd been fully one with the Eclipse, the three dragons had turned to  _their_ surrogate sons and daughter. A tense moment had passed before Grandeeney spoke.

"Now it is our turn to sacrifice ourselves. And you must be the ones to do it, dragon slayers," she'd said, looking first at Gajeel, then at Natsu and finally at the little girl she'd raised.

The crowd had gone deadly silent. The three dragon slayers had been oblivious to the looks their guild mates had given them, trying to find a way to put to lie what the great bird-like dragon had said.

No. It couldn't be true. They must have heard wrong. They hadn't just been asked to  _kill_ the only parents they've known.

But it had been clear that Grandeeney was serious. Igneel and Metallicana said nothing, merely staring at their respective sons. The two men - for both of them had lost their last bit of boyishness the minute they'd been asked, no  _ordered_ to kill their parents - had stared back, trying to look silently for what the youngest slayer asked with tears and sobbed words: it was a lie, right? Just a big joke?

Their only answer had been Metallicana's curt, cutting words: "You need to become stronger, and only bathing in dragon's blood could make you any stronger than you are now. Do you want to put that woman's sacrifice to waste?"

Of course not. But wasn't there another way? One that preferably did not include forfeiting someone else's future?

Igneel, who'd been silent up to that point, had finally spoken up. "There is no other option. You must choose now, or you will lose whatever ground you've managed to gain in battle."

After what seemed like an eternity, the dragon slayers had finally given up. They had no other choice. As much as they loved their dragons - even Gajeel, who'd given in and punched, kicked, shouted at and finally hugged the father he hadn't seen in years - the lives of their nakama and the rest of the world - especially their loved ones - counted heavily.

They'd all released their most powerful Secret Dragon Slayer Art at the same time, pouring in all their emotions. They'd watched helplessly as their parents' bodies were absorbed to the Eclipse, fading away as if they'd never been. Before the last part had vanished, Natsu had heard a voice in his head, saying something that had made him incredible angry and incredibly sad at the same time.

 _This is why we stayed away. We wanted you to hate us, so that when this time came you wouldn't be hurt. But I guess even the Mighty Igneel commits mistakes. I'm sorry, son. Remember that I'm proud of you, and we'll always be watching all of you, just like the way you'll always watch over your mate and the family you'll have someday. Goodbye, Natsu_.

The other dragons had similar messages for their children. They'd all mourned that day, but even that didn't last long; the seven dragons had to be defeated, and after the fight the city and the people had tried to recover. Dead mages were buried. The city and friends and family members grieved. Damages had to be fixed, and in most cases wholly rebuilt. Every guild helped. Some independent mages had even come to lend a hand, and the other kingdoms, especially Bosco and Pergrande, had sent soldiers and masons and builders to help. Soon, Crocus showed no sign of ever having been attacked.

It wasn't so for the three dragon slayers though, and neither for the rest of Fairy Tail. For those first few months, none of them acted like themselves; they seldom went to the guild, and when they did it was only to get missions and report back. Eventually Wendy recovered enough to stay at the guild for a few days before going off to see someone at Crocus, or to another mission, usually accompanied by Max or Warren and always by Charle. Gajeel took a few months longer before giving in to Levy's gentle prodding. Natsu, on the other hand, almost took a year of convincing before settling down. Even then, he would sometimes just stand up and walk out of the guild, staying out for days at a time until Lucy and Happy searched him out. And then there was what happened every July 7.

Instead of disappearing, he'd go to the guild early. He would sit at the bar and order drink after drink; he did not talk to anyone. Happy had tried, and eventually had given up. Lucy would take on a week-long mission a day before, and the rest of the guild members were either busy, or decided to leave him alone out of either understanding or fear.

That pattern had happened on first anniversary, and the second, and was in the process of repeating it for the third time, although with a bit of a delay in the date as Master Makatov had forced Natsu to participate in the X794 Grand Magical Games. Happy hadn't even tried talking to him this year, had simply rolled back to pretend to sleep while his friend and father figure went out the door to grieve. He knew Natsu would go to the Fairy Tail, where the guild was planning to throw a birthday party for Lucy, although he doubted Natsu remembered or even knew. For days around that particular day, Natsu would try to forget anything concerning his closest nakama, and would focus only on missions, getting drunk, and even more missions, or in this case fighting in the Games. He didn't talk to anyone with either, and would snarl at any guild member who would dare approach him.

Now Natsu was weaving his drunk way through town, unconscious of where he was going. He simply wanted to be left alone. The only reason he'd stayed that long at the guild was the presence of the scent that tended to overwhelm his senses, and when it had grown faint enough to prove that the owner wasn't there anymore, he'd gotten up to go. No one had tried to stop him, although a few had shot worried looks at his retreating back. Even in the midst of a party, Fairy Tail took notice of one of its strongest and most cheerful mages stumbling his way to the door, too drunk to realize that his scarf lay forgotten on the floor.

He stopped in front of a familiar stretch of river, midway through one of the many stone bridges of Magnolia. Through the haze of alcohol he acknowledged that his feet had led him to the one place he wanted to avoid at all costs, but at the same time the place that he normally treated as his home.

Lucy's place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	2. Hope

Lucy felt nervous. Very, very nervous. The feeling hadn't left her ever since Gray had approached her that morning and asked that she meet him the next night at the park.

_"Let's keep this between us, ne? I just wanna ask you about something really important."_

It wasn't like Gray to be so secretive. Sure, he was a private man, but not to the extent that he'd tug someone out of the guild just to ask for a meeting.

Now she couldn't sleep out of nervousness. She kept tossing and turning, her creative writer's mind busy thinking up various scenarios concerning what Gray would say.

_We've changed the future! We've somehow managed to avoid the disaster of 10,000 dragons, for Mavis' sake! A little talk with Gray should be easy-peasy._

Even as she convinced herself, she couldn't help but become even more nervous. She'd always had a crush on Gray, and the possibility that he would be confessing that he liked her back had her heart pounding to overdrive. There was still Juvia to consider, though...

Giving up on sleep, she rose to grab a glass of water. She wanted to counteract the hangover she knew she'd have in the morning from drinking too much alcohol. Unlike her guild mates she didn't normally drink too much, but they'd held the party for her birthday after all. Besides, she was twenty-two - about time, several extra years of being stuck as a teenager was quite enough, thank you very much - and therefore legally allowed to drink.

She went back to bed, still feeling dizzy but unable to get her thoughts to stop so she could sleep. Instead she stared up at the ceiling trying to come up with a way to avert the disaster she felt would come tomorrow night - well, technically in a few hours since midnight had passed a while ago.

She was startled out of her thoughts when the window beside her bed slid open. Before she could grab her keys the intruder had already fallen face-first on her lap, only his messy head of pink hair identifying him.

"Natsu! What are you doing here?" Lucy shouted. When she got no response she prodded him then turned him over. He just grunted.

He was drunk again, she realized as the strong scent of alcohol hit her nose. Not just drunk, but  _passed out_  and drunk at her bed at  _four in the morning_. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him in this state, and she thought it wouldn't be the last. She had a suspicion as to the cause of his yearly binge, and felt she understood completely. Everyone had been heavily affected by the events of the Day of the Seven Dragons, but at the same time everyone was trying to cope. Natsu seemed to be the only one couldn't let go even a little.

She looked at him again, sadness in her eyes. She didn't like seeing him like this. Natsu was supposed to be strong, always there,  _undefeatable_. But he was letting this sadness defeat him and little by little she could see her best friend fading away, and she couldn't stand to watch him be replaced by a stranger.

She decided to face him now, starting with getting water into him to avoid a hangover and the consequent bad temper. She went back to the kitchen to refill the glass she'd already drained. When she got back he was sprawled on his back, occupying most of the bed. He was snoring, his mouth open and a thin line of drool leaking out. She giggled. He looked so cute like that, not to mention his open vest showed off his spectacular abs...

Lucy shook her head, blushing. The alcohol must have affected her more than she thought. This was  _Natsu_  for crying out loud! Her best friend! Although she had to admit, for a while after they'd first met, she had thought that he was the prince her mother had always told her she would find. After a while though, she realized that he was just too dense, and had given up.

Now she realized that her feelings had only been locked up, not dead and buried. With the help of the alcohol they burst out of their confinement.

She remembered all the times he'd saved her, starting from Bora when they hadn't even really known each other, up to the fight with Grimoire Heart's Kain, and even risking his life to save her from a dragon after the Games. She remembered how he was always there to comfort her and lend her his strength when she felt her weakest, how he would dry her tears whenever she cried. She remembered laughing with him, fighting with him, training with him.

 _I'm in love with a pink-haired idiot_ , she realized, shaken. After all, who would want to be in love with an immature, destructive, competitive dragon slayer who was always looking for a fight? One who was reckless, and childish, and stupid...

...and caring, sweet, and kind...

_Oh well, too late to back out now._

"Lucy?"

She looked up from the glass of water she'd been unconsciously staring into, to the narrowed blurry eyes of Natsu Dragneel.

Natsu slowly came back to the world of the living, confused as hell and wondering where he was. Normally that wouldn't have been a problem, but the alcohol dulled his senses. All he could tell was he was in someone's bed, so probably in someone's house. But which of his guild mates had he bothered?

After a few seconds he heard someone enter from another room. He knew immediately who it was partially by the smell and the rhythm of the footsteps, but mostly he just  _knew_ because his skin prickled and his heart beat a little faster.

_Lucy._

Still, impaired as he was, he had to make sure. He opened his eyes, but that didn't work since the light all but blinded him. He was reluctant to try again, but tried opening them slowly and only a little before he called her name.

He saw her - or more accurately, her blurry image - raise her head quickly from staring into something cupped in her hands. He wondered what it was, but that flew out of his mind pretty quickly when she exclaimed, "Natsu! Good, you're awake. Here, drink - "

He held up his hand, flinching. "Too loud. Hurts my ears." He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw her smirk a little. Still, her voice was softer when she spoke again.

"Drink this," she ordered. She handed him the item in her hand - a glass of water, apparently - before explaining, "That might help with the hangover."

He downed half the glass in one gulp, grimacing at the taste it left... But that was probably the beer. "Are you sure this isn't poison?"

She laughed lightly, and the sound soothed his tight nerves a little. "No, of course not. Why would I poison you?"

"Out of all the people in the guild, you're probably the one with the most reason and the biggest right to do it."

She was about to laugh when she saw that he was being perfectly serious. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached out to touch his face. "Natsu..."

He jerked away from her touch as if scalded - or more appropriately with him, as if frozen - jumping from the bed to the window in a single leap. He avoided looking at her, choosing instead to take interest in her apartment's decor. His whole body was tense and she could see his eyes clouded with guilt and self-loathing, emotions Lucy found disturbing to see on the usually cheerful man.

She saw him turn away from her, ready to leap out of the window. She knew that if she let him go now she would likely not see him for days, maybe weeks, something that she didn't want to happen. Acting quickly she flung herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his torso and pretending not to feel him tense up at the action.

She stayed like that for a while, quietly clinging to him and thinking of what to say. She didn't detect the slightest loosening of muscles from him; if anything he seemed to tense up a little more with each second that passed. Eventually he spoke up, calling her name softly and questioningly.

"Yeah?" She responded absently, still thinking.

"I need to go."

She tightened her hold on him further, and she swore that he stopped breathing.

"Don't," she mumbled to his back.

"I have to Luce, please," he said desperately.

"Please don't leave me alone."

The quiet tone she used had him feeling torn in two. He needed to get away from her, to not further burden her with his useless presence, but at the same time he wanted to stay by her side always, guarding her from the world. In the end guilt won, and he turned around in her arms. He pushed her away with gentle hands on her shoulders, intending to tell her that he absolutely can't stay, but he made the mistake of looking into her eyes.

They were big, brown, and pleading and he felt his resolve quickly crumble under their scrutiny. He let out a frustrated breath and ran a hand roughly through his hair, promising himself that he would stay away from her after this.

"Guess I can hang around for a while, if that's what you want," he finally muttered.

Her smile was so bright he felt blinded. "It is; it absolutely is! Thanks, Natsu."

She just sat there beaming at him so he took it upon himself to get them into a more comfortable position. He set her down beside him on the bed, finding it hard to believe that she would let him anywhere near her after all the times he'd failed to keep her from harm. Still, she seemed content to just lean against him, and he basked in the opportunity to stay close to her.

"Ne, Natsu," his companion asked after several minutes of silence.

"Yeah, Luce?"

"Let's go away for a while." He looked down at her, confused, but she didn't meet his gaze. Sensing his confusion despite this, she added, "I just feel like it's been a while since we really relaxed, you know? The last time I remember totally relaxing was during our first Games, at Ryuuzetsu. Please, can we go? Somewhere away from Magnolia, out of Fiore if possible. Just the two of us, like when you first took me to Fairy Tail." Struck by inspiration, she turned to him. "It'll be like your birthday present to me!"

Did she really expect him to be able to say no to those eyes? Still… "I'd love to go Luce, but I'm kinda short on funds just now, and since you haven't taken any missions from just before the Games, I don't think you have any money to spend either," he reminded her. He'd been aware that she and Erza had gone on a week-long training camp just before this year's Games, and had that she hadn't taken any big jobs before that.

"We could go on a mission," the blonde mage persisted. "Or maybe we could even do several missions and build up on cash, so we don't have to worry about money. Please, Natsu, I really want to go. I miss going on missions with you," she added softly. They hadn't done any job requests together in years, since before their first Games. At first they'd both been too busy helping to rebuild the aftermath of the war, and after that Natsu had started avoiding her, to the point that he took S-Class missions alone right after passing the exam.

Seeing the sadness in her expression, he felt guilty for avoiding her. He'd thought that he was doing her a favor by staying out of her way, but it was obvious now even to him that he'd only managed to upset her. Determined to make up for it, he made an effort to find some of his old cheer and exclaimed, "Yoshi! We'll take a mission as soon as the guild opens later!"

The celestial mage giggled at the display, asking, "Do you have a request in mind?"

"I don't care, as long as we get to kick some asses!"

Lucy laughed outright at the response, glad to see that at least some part of the Natsu she'd known was coming back. Not all the way back yet, and just a little forced, but they would work on that. "Alright then, you get to choose later. For now, let's get a couple hours of sleep, ne?"

Natsu nodded and turned towards the window. Lucy saw this and grabbed the back of his vest intending to tell him to stay the night, but noticed for the first time that he was missing his scarf. He looked back at her to see a confused expression. "Natsu, where's your scarf?"

The dragon slayer's eyes widened as he grabbed at his bare collar. "Oh shit! I must have dropped it somewhere! I have to go look for it; see ya later, Luce!" With that last hurried statement, he dropped out of her window into the streets just as the sun broke through the horizon.

She sighed softly. "See you later, Natsu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	3. Prelude

A couple of hours later, the prestigious building that towered over the town of Magnolia shook with a certain dragon slayer's angry shout.

"Gray, you droopy-eyed bastard! What the hell did you do to my scarf?!"

Several people with hangover groaned at the loud voice, their heads punishing them for last night's indulgence. Cana had a stronger constitution than most of them, however, and smirked at Natsu over the rim of her early morning barrel of beer.

"Oi Natsu, finally back eh?" Though the brunette's words were sarcastic, she felt relieved to see a spark of the old Natsu again, not the hollow imitation that had been with them for the last few years.

The pink-haired man scowled at her. "I was here just last night." When the woman just scoffed, he decided to ignore her words and asked instead, "Where's Stripper by the way? That damn bastard's gone and put my scarf in ice!"

Cans smirked again as she watched her guild mate melt the poop-shaped ice sculpture that entrapped his scarf. "He left as soon as he did that last night. He should be here early today though; he said he wanted to see your reaction."

"Oh I'm gonna show him alright," Natsu threatened as he wrapped the newly-released scarf around his neck. He shivered at the its cool temperature and fired up his whole body to warm up just as the resident Static Ice Make Mage entered the hall.

Immediately Gray smirked at the sight of his half-melted work and the irate Fire Dragon Slayer. "Flame-brain, I see you finally found your scarf."

Natsu's forehead locked with his rival's as they engaged in a glaring contest. "You bastard, you stole my scarf when I was drunk last night, didn't you?!"

"I didn't have to steal anything you idiot; you were too drunk to realize when you dropped it!"

"I'd never be drunk enough to lose the scarf Igneel gave me!"

Gray decided to cut to the chase. "You were out of it enough in the last three years not to notice how miserable you were making Lucy by staying away from her!"

The whole guild quieted at Gray's last statement, half afraid of Natsu's reaction and half relieved that somebody had finally said what everyone had wanted to say. The fire user for his part slowly turned pale, and the whole guild stared in amazement as he backed away from his greatest rival.

"I... I..."

"You  _what_ , Natsu?" Gray sneered at his teammate. "Can't find a comeback, can you?" His hands clenched and unclenched unconsciously at his sides, and icy particles started to form in the air around him.

"I didn't think she'd want me near her," Natsu half-whispered.

"You didn't think she'd  _-_ " Gray cut himself off, frustrated. "Seriously, Natsu?" His voice rise with each word, his usual calm gone. "I know you're a dense retard, but to think that your friend, your teammate, your  _partner_ , for the gods' sake, wouldn't need your support after what she went through?"

"You don't understand. It was my fault she went through those things in the first place."

"How the hell could it have been your fault? You weren't the one to open the gates, or summon the dragons. You weren't even there to see them open!"

"Exactly! I wasn't there. I wasn't there because I was busy fighting future Rogue, who had just killed Lucy right in front of me!"

Natsu clenched his teeth as the whole guild froze, as if Gray had released his ice and made sculptures out of them. Few people knew of what had happened at that time, and hearing about it now was confusing, as well as a shock.

"The least you could've done was stay beside her after that! Then she wouldn't have felt so damn useless and - "

"That's enough, Gray. I believe Natsu has realized his mistakes, haven't you, Natsu?" Master Makarov addressed him from his usual perch on the bar top. His normally cheerful face was serious, and the look he leveled at Natsu made the younger man feel even smaller than he already felt.

"I... I'm trying to make it up to her. I'll try to make up the last few years to you guys too," he said as he looked around, "but I have to make it up to her first. She comes first now, no matter what."

"She should've come first from the very beginning," Gray began, still mad.

"Gray. That's enough," Erza commanded. "Everybody makes mistakes, and Natsu is already trying to make up for his." When the Ice Mage still looked ready to fight, she softened her tone, mindful if Natsu's sensitive hearing. "I know how you feel about her, but I think we both knew from the very beginning how this was going to turn out."

The dark-haired man stayed silent for a moment, his eyes taking on a far-away look. "I just don't wanna see them hurt. Her most of all, and if that retard's hurt, then she is, too. So I don't want either of them hurt."

The Titania smiled at him. "You don't have to hide how you care for him too, you know. You're teammates after all. It's normal to care for each other."

He scoffed. "Like anybody would care for a hothead like him? I don't even know what Lucy sees in him."

They both turned as the guild doors opened once again, this time to admit a blonde Stellar Spirit Mage and a flying blue Exceed. The whole guild watched as the Fire Dragon Slayer rushed to the request board then ran to her, a big grin on his face and babbling about the job flyer in his hand. She glanced at it, eyes widening and shouting at her partner. He just laughed and grabbed her by the wrist, towing her - protesting all the way - out of the guild. Happy flew after them after throwing a relieved if somewhat bewildered glance back at the guild.

"Sometimes you don't need a clear-cut reason to love someone. Some things just are."

A few weeks later, Lucy sat at the bar with the other women. Cana sat beside her, guzzling her third barrel of the afternoon, occasionally shouting at the brawlers while Evergreen berated Elfman. Laxus also sat with them, having opted out of the fight. Mirajane chatted with Erza and Lucy since most of the rest of the guild had joined in the ongoing brawl.

"...and I just don't understand how he could've mistaken our client for the criminal," Lissana grumbled. She shot a look at Bixlow, who was making his babies hit anyone within the fight. He caught her glare and grinned back at her, tongue lolling. She promptly turned her back to him, huffing when she heard his distinctive laugh.

"Well, you know how Bixlow-san can be sometimes," Wendy said soothingly.

"Why was he with you anyway?" Cana took a break from her beer to ask. Evergreen answered her with a small smirk.

"Ara, didn't you know? Bixlow hasn't joined the Raijinshuu in taking missions for several weeks now. He's been busy sniffing around little Miss Take-Over here."

"Oooh is that true, Lissana? Bixlow's been following you around huh? Are you dating yet? What about Natsu?" Cana nudged the younger mage, but only got silence and a blush in return. She laughed loudly and turned back to Evergreen. "Wanna bet that they'll end up dating before week's end?"

The Fairy thought it over before saying with a shrug, "I give it till next week before she agrees. Bixlow isn't exactly charming."

"You'd both lose." Both women and Wendy turned to the eldest Strauss sibling, who had paused from her conversation to listen in.

"You know something, Mira?" Cana asked.

"Of course she knows something. They're sisters," Evergreen said with a roll of her eyes. She turned back to the barmaid. "So? What do you know?"

"Well, Lissana has been late coming home a few times now. And I noticed that she's been taking harder and harder missions, ones she wouldn't normally take unless she has someone more used to combat with her." She smiled benevolently at her sister, who pouted back. "They're already on their third date."

The last statement was so out of the blue and surprising that it had her three listeners blinking in shock before Evergreen and Cana turned back to interrogate the younger mage, Wendy offering her sympathetic glances. Revenge accomplished, Mira waved a small goodbye before turning back to Lucy and Erza.

"Isn't that just a little bit cruel, Mira?" Lucy asked.

"What are you talking about, Lucy?" Mirajane returned innocently. Inside she was patting herself on the back for a perfectly executed punishment. Lissana really shouldn't have followed her and Laxus on their date.

 _She's too good at this_ , Lucy thought, shuddering in apprehension. "Never mind," she said instead. "You were about to tell us about Levy's mission."

"Ah, yes." Mira Jane's smile turned to a worried frown. "I'm not sure why Master let her take that mission with just Jet and Droy. Not to underestimate their capabilities, but..."

"How hard is the mission?" Erza asked.

"It's a fairly simple one. Chase out the bandits that have been plaguing the town, and if possible recover the stolen goods."

Lucy felt surprise. Mira wasn't usually such a worrywart, and for the silver-haired woman to act like now, there had to be a reason. She decided to ask.

"Well, lately there had been a rash of attacks on mages taking missions in that part of the country. Most had been found dead, drained of their last drop of magical power," Mirajane answered.

"Well you could just stop worrying now, since she's here already," Laxus commented.

Lucy, Erza and Mirajane turned to watch Levy approach, and the blonde mage jumped up from her perch to greet her friend. "Levy-chan! How did your mission go?"

"We finished it, Lu-chan. I'll tell you about it later," Levy answered with a strained smile. "Right now we need Wendy's help."

The teenager approached the older mage immediately, asking, "Are you injured anywhere, Levy-san?"

"No, but Dealina is." She gestured behind her to Jet and Droy, both injured and carrying a battered woman between them. Wendy stepped forward with her hands already glowing even as the women gasped.

"What happened to her, Levy-chan?" Mirajane's voice managed to be hard and concerned at once as she took in the sight before her.

"We found her being attacked by a group of bandits just outside Magnolia." The usually laid back mage looked furious, as did her two teammates. "There were five of them not including the six that were already down, and they were all using swords and magic against one civilian."

The mage spoke up then, voice cracked and raspy. "Not... Not a civilian. Mage. Freelance" Already she looked a little better thanks to Wendy, but she still needed support to stand.

Jet frowned down at her. "If you have magic, then why didn't you use it? Did you run out?"

She shook her head, saying only, "I don't like using magic."

Lucy found the statement strange but didn't get the chance to ask as Erza commented incredulously, "You mean you defeated six mages using no magic?"

The girl looked uncomfortable with such a question and was obviously greatly relieved as Wendy chose that moment to announce that she was done. The blue-haired teen motioned for Jet and Droy to sit down, but they still needed to support the other mage. Seeing their problem, Lucy decided to speak up.

"Natsu! Come over here and help Jet and Droy!"

The pink-haired man jumped out of the fight and headed over to his partner. "You're really mean Lucy, making me go out of the fight when I was just about to defeat Ice Princess!"

"What was that Flame-head?!" Gray's enraged shout was cut off by a flying table to his head. Natsu stuck his tongue out childishly at his rival before following Lucy's order and taking the injured mage from Jet and Droy.

"Um... Shouldn't someone stop them?" Natsu was asked by his new charge.

He blinked at her, bewildered. "Eh? But why?"

Lucy smiled a little at the answer, knowing that he was honestly confused and remembering her own initial impression of the guild. "Don't worry about them. That's just the way they show their affection." The girl still looked bewildered, but said nothing as Mira was already calling for them to bring her in to the infirmary.

Three days later, their patient had healed enough to be allowed to venture into the guild hall periodically. More often than not though, her initial acquaintances went up to visit her, as they did now.

"Are you sure there's nobody we can contact for you?" Mirajane asked.

Dealina shook her head. "There's only one person, and he's hard to get a hold of." She glanced discretely at the pouch resting on the bedside table.

Lucy noticed it. "Do you have any way to contact him at all?"

"Well..." The brown-eyed teen hesitated, looking torn. "He did give me a communication lacrima just before we got separated, but it needs magic to operate."

"That shouldn't be a problem then," Mirajane replied cheerfully. "You're in a mage guild, after all."

"But it needs a specific type of magic to make it work," Dealina explained.

The silver-haired woman blinked at that. Magic-specific lacrimas were rare and expensive. Then she smiled, dismissing it. "Well I'm sure there's someone here who uses the kind of magic you need. We do have a lot of mages here with many types of magic."

The girl on the bed looked skeptical. "But you probably don't have someone who can create water, as opposed to just manipulating it."

Mirajane's smile widened. "As a matter of fact we do, and I'm sure she'll be happy to help you." She turned to Lucy. "Lucy, would you mind keeping Dealina company while I get Juvia?"

"Not at all. We'll wait for you."

When the older woman had gone out of the room, Lucy turned to the bed's occupant. The girl's chocolate brown eyes regarded her guardedly. Her hair - blonde with pink bangs- was loose and fell to just under her chin, with the bangs nearly hiding her eyes. Luckily, as her clothes had been torn beyond salvation, she was almost the same size as Lucy, so the borrowed pajamas fit her perfectly.

The silence between them grew uncomfortable. Just as Lucy felt compelled to break it, there was a loud crash from downstairs followed by several raised voices.

"What's that?" Dealina asked worriedly.

"Probably just another brawl. I have to check it out though. Don't worry; I'll leave Loke with you." She pulled out his key. "Open, Gate of the Lion! Loke!"

The man with a wild mane of orange hair appeared, accompanied by the sound of gates opening. "Lucy, my princess! What do you need your faithful knight for?"

"Loke, please stay with Dealina while I check something downstairs, okay?" She ran out, closing the door to the sound of his flirtatious greeting of Dealina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	4. Change and Revalation

Lucy took the stairs two at a time, wanting to see what the commotion was about. The sight that greeted her made her eyes bulge.

Three people stood in the middle of the hall, two half naked, one partly encased in ice, and the third looking absolutely speechless. Blue and green ice littered the area around them, making it look like they were surrounded by sparkling gems. Other guild members stood in a loose circle, some watching in awe (mostly the new ones) and some smirking, while a handful just looked bored. The rest were taking bets and shouting encouragements and insults.

At the centre of the circle, Lyon was locked in blue ice, only part of his upper torso and head free. Despite this he stood alert, facing Gray with his hands ready to perform the correct sequence of movements for his Ice Magic. The younger mage for his part stood facing his  _se_ _n_ _pai_ , crouched in front of the wide-eyed Juvia and also ready to use his magic.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Lyon? It's not like you to kiss an unwilling woman!"

"Will you at least let me explain, before you attack me again?"

"What the hell else is there to explain? I saw you grab her and kiss her, and she didn't look happy about it."

Juvia looked ready to speak up but Lyon shouted back at Gray, "Why would you care if I kissed her or not anyway? Last time I checked, she wasn't your girlfriend!"

"She's still my guild mate, and we look out for each other. That includes taking care of pesky stalkers like you," Gray sneered.

"For all you know, Gray, Juvia might be my girlfriend now, and maybe we just got into a little argument and that's why she wasn't too happy to be kissed," Lyon tossed back.

Gray looked stunned. Behind him, Juvia touched his shoulder, asking for attention. He turned to her, still keeping Lyon in his line of sight.

"G-gray-sama, please don't fight with Lyon-sama anymore. Juvia... She asked him to kiss her!" The last part was blurted out in a rush, and it took Gray a moment to process the words.

"You...  _asked_ him to  _kiss_ you?" Disbelief dripped from each word.

"Um... Yes." For a moment the Water Mage looked hesitant, but she straightened her shoulders and looked at the Static Ice Mage in the eye. "Gray-sama, Juvia hasn't made a secret of loving you. Since she met you, Juvia has been faithful, loving only Gray-sama. But now... Now, Juvia has realized that she can't spend her life waiting for someone who doesn't love her back. Juvia still loves Gray-sama, but she has to move on."

Gray could only gape in shock as the blue-haired woman walked past him and went to Lyon, melting his ice using steaming water. He was in such a state of shock that his normally heat resistant ice - crafted after a frustrating loss against Natsu where the fire user had escaped his final blow by melting his Ice Chain - easily gave under her skillful manipulation. They walked out of the guild together, hand-in-hand.

When Juvia returned inside the guild a few minutes later, she was alone. Gray sat at the bar, scowling into a drink while Erza cast pitying glances his way. Habit almost made her walk up to him, but she forced herself to change directions. Instead she glanced around the guild, and headed towards Mirajane and Lucy when the other mages gestured to her.

"Juvia, would you mind heading upstairs with us for a moment? Dealina needs your help," Lucy expained.

"Of course."

Mirajane excused herself as her break was already up. The two mages headed up together.

"… I'll go check. Tell Lucy that I won't be available for a few days."

They entered the infirmary in time to see The Lion disappear with a small flash of light.

Lucy scowled at the space he'd vacated. "I give him too much leeway. He shouldn't have left you alone like that," she told Dealina, more exasperated than anything else. Loke was as reliable as they came in times of need.

The younger mage smiled a little. "Loke's always been a free Spirit, even when under a contract. It's partly because he's The Lion, the most powerful Spirit, the Leader of the Zodiacs, and partly because it's just his nature."

"Oh? You know him that well?" Lucy asked.

"Oh – Um… That's – Well, that is to say… I've heard of his reputation, of course. From other Celestial Mages." The girl looked incredibly awkward, and her eyes looked at everything except Lucy. They spotted Juvia, who stepped forward and smiled.

"Hello. Juvia pleased to meet you, Dealina-san. She's heard a lot about you."

Unlike most people who met Juvia for the first time, Dealina showed no sign of being surprised at hearing a grown woman speaking in the third person. "I've heard a lot about you as well, Juvia-san."

"Oh? But Juvia is not as well-known as some of the other Mages from Fairy Tail," the Water Mage said.

"Maybe not, but you're still strong in your own right. And you were a member of the Element Four before joining this guild, right?"

"Well yes, but… We did not really have a good reputation back then."

"It's not what you did in the past that matters, but what you're doing with your present," Dealina said. Her eyes looked so sad that Lucy moved to sit beside her and hugged her. When the girl looked at her, she smiled encouragingly and tightened her arms.

"What we're gonna do for now is get that communication lacrima of yours to work. Where is it?"

"I told you to wait for me in town!"

Lucy watched as Dealina flinched from the reprimand, which had come from a blue-haired man being projected by the communications lacrima. The moment the man had answered the call - which had been about five minutes ago by Lucy's estimation – the he had started shouting. Juvia had decided to leave then, leaving Lucy to stay or go. She had been about to leave when the girl on the bed had shot her a pleading look. She'd stayed, understanding the other woman's desire for support while getting scolded.

"You stubborn little - " The man cut himself off, trying to regain his composure even though it was obvious that he was still pissed. "Where the hell are you anyway?" He snarled when all he got was a silent look from Dealina. "Why aren't you answering me?!"

Lucy had had enough. She moved into the range of the communications lacrima. "You  _did_  tell her to 'keep it shut'."

Red eyes registered surprise before they narrowed. "Who the hell are you?" the man on the other end of the call demanded.

"Lucy of Fairy Tail. And you are?"

"Sage, Sage Ferrios. Freelance mage, partner of that stubborn woman you helped out. Thanks for that, by the way."

"It was a friend of mine who actually helped her out, but you're welcome anyway." Lucy glanced at Dealina, who kept her teary eyes glued to her lap. "Now, I think it's time you apologize for shouting at you friend." She smiled as the younger woman glanced at her with gratitude, and then moved out of range of the lacrima again.

She heard Sage sigh. "Dee, sorry for shouting at you. I was just really worried. I left you thinking that you were perfectly safe then came back to a trashed camp and no sign of you. I've been driving myself crazy these past few days trying to find you. Speak up, Dee," he coaxed when he got no response.

She answered in a soft voice. "I'm sorry for worrying you, but those guys came out of nowhere. I thought we'd taken care of all of them so I wasn't prepared to face them. And afterwards, I had no way of contacting you - "

"You did, Dee."

"You know I can't use the lacrima on my own, Sage."

"You can," the man countered. "You just refuse to. You can't spend the rest of your life denying your magic, Dee." He sighed when silence met him once again. "How did you power up the lacrima anyway?"

"Juvia, a mage from the guild I'm staying at, helped me."

"I see. Well anyways, I should be arriving there in a couple of weeks at most. I'm in Bosco right now," he explained.

"Alright. I'll stay around Magnolia. See you in a couple of weeks," Dealina said.

"Yeah, see you. Take care of yourself," Sage replied before he signed off.

"Well, that went a lot smoother than expected," Dealina muttered.

"If that was smooth, I'd hate to see rough." Lucy sat on the edge of the bed. "Dealina, is it okay if I ask you a question? I don't mean to pry or anything, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but it's been bothering me for a while," she added quickly.

"What is it, Lucy-san?"

"Well… When you first came here, you mentioned that you fought those bandits you didn't use magic and not because you ran out, but because you didn't want to. And just now, your friend mentioned that you're refusing to use your magic. I was wondering why?"

"I..."

Dealina looked uncomfortable that Lucy immediately regretted asking. "Forget I asked. It's none of my business anyway." A hand touched her arm before she could rise.

"It's alright. It's natural to be curious as to why a mage denies her magic, I guess." Dark eyes took on a faraway look. Lucy remained silent, waiting for the other woman to speak.

"When I was young," she began, "my parents were influential people. My mother was a priestess, and my father was the... I guess you could say leader. He made all the major decisions for our people, and took care of any negotiations with our neighbours. We were happy, and I grew up with the children of the townspeople and the neighbouring groups. But one day...

"The leader of one of the neighbouring groups, my mother's brother, decided that he was tired of playing nice. He decided to take over the groups, one by one. He started with us, who he considered weakest because my father tended to look for diplomatic solutions. That was his mistake, because even if my father is a happy-go-lucky most of the time, he would protect his group at all costs.

"I was at another group, studying, when the attack was launched. The leader I was with heard about it, and decided to fight with my father. When we arrived, father and mother were engaged in a fight with mother's brother. Father was already badly injured, and mother was trying to help him. She turned her back on the other, and... and..." Tears started falling from her eyes unheeded. Lucy moved closer, wrapped her arms around the crying woman. "He attacked them. Mother had her back to him, shielding father. She took on the attack full-force. It killed her instantly.

"At that point I just... I lost it. I told you earlier - I think - that I was with the other leader, studying. You see, we don't inherit our magic, at least our main magic. It's determined by birth. My magic was the same as the other leader's, so I was often over to study. At that time I was studying a very powerful spell. I didn't think, I just used it.

"I ended up performing it perfectly. The problem was with controlling. You see, that kind of magic involved a bit of Transformation, and the instinct of my transformed form was... Difficult to control. It's basically an animal that acts as it pleases, or on its instincts. At that time I was blind with grief for my mother, and wanted nothing more than to avenge her. Unfortunately, my father had also succumbed to his Transformation. He attacked my mother's brother just as my attack was about to hit my uncle. It ended up killing them both.

"I don't remember much after that. There are only small flashes. Blood, screaming, pain. When I regained control, everyone around me was badly injured. They had been trying to restrain me, you see, but having little magical capabilities, they all failed. Sage had been the only one around with any chance of restraining me, and he did it, but he sustained many injuries because of it. I often wonder how he got through that without hating me.

"Do you see? Magic has brought me nothing but pain and loss. Could you really blame me for hating it?"

Lucy was silent for s while, processing what she'd just heard. Life had certainly been harsh for the young woman in front of her, but then again life had been harsh for every member of Fairy Tail at one point or another. You just had to cope with it.

"You know," Lucy began, "there was a point in my life where I hated magic, too. I lost a friend because of magic, but I realized... if it wasn't for magic, I wouldn't have met my family; Fairy Tail wouldn't even exist. I wouldn't have my precious memories, and I wouldn't have met Eclaire at all. Magic has taken some important things from me, but it's also given me everything that's important to me. That's why I'm sure, no matter what, your magic would make you happy someday," Lucy finished, smiling widely.

Dealina stared at the beaming face of the blonde mage. For some reason, she felt like she had just regained something precious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	5. Explanation

Sage tossed the small lacrima unit in his travel bag, not particularly caring if it got damaged. After shouldering the pack, he took one last look around.

Bodies littered the small clearing, most unconscious and some moaning from various injuries. Weapons lay in one neat pile at the edge of the surrounding forest.

Nodding to himself, Sage started out, only stooping down long enough to whisper to one of the few conscious thugs.

"Tell whoever sent you, 'You'll never get rid of us until you do it yourself.'" He took the whimper as acknowledgement and let the man's head drop unceremoniously. Standing, he adjusted his pack and strode out of the clearing.

Never once did he look back.

* * *

"You took a while."

Sage merely grunted back in greeting. He was filthy, hungry, and wanting nothing more than a hot bath, food, and bed. Instead he was stuck waiting for the Magic Council's dogs.

"Do you have any news?"

He flicked his eyes to the dark-haired man leaning against the wall of an inn. "Yes, Rogue, I do. Now please shut up."

Rogue looked ready to bug him some more, but the sound of gravel crunching under boots distracted them. "I never thought I'd see anyone more taciturn than Rogue, but I see I was wrong," Sting greeted.

"I am not taciturn," the dark-haired Slayer ground out. Quiet and anti-social he would cop to, but  _not_  taciturn.

His partner just scoffed. "Right. Anyway, you have news on your girl?" The blonde directed his question to Sage.

Said man rubbed his temple, feeling a dull throbbing start. All the worry and tension and sleepless nights were catching up with him. "Yes, she's fine. She was ambushed, but a mage from some guild - Fairy Head or something - helped her out."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah, that's it. Probably."

"Well of all the gin joints in all the town," Sting muttered incredulously.

"You know them?" Sage inquired as he leaned against the nearest wall, suddenly weary. He'd been running mostly on adrenaline and very little sleep since his partner had gone missing, and the combination always made him - damn Sting for being right - taciturn.

"Of course, and if you'd bothered with Sorcerer Weekly once in a while you'd know them too." Sting ignored the scoff and muttered words about not bothering with crap, and continued on. "They're currently the strongest guild in Fiore. We're ranked right after them," the blonde added offhandedly. He was proud of his guild's achievements. Well, he  _was_ guild master now, after all.

Sage scoffed. "That doesn't tell me much, seeing how weak you are."

A vein popped in the White Dragon Slayer's temple. "You bratty little shit, fight me again and I'll show you who's really weak!"

"You're too easily goaded." Rogue rolled his eyes in exasperation. His companions both ignored him.

"I only defeat an opponent once," Sage stated with a smirk. He loved riling people up, under most circumstances. Before Sting could answer, he pushed himself off the wall. "There's the guard. Let's go."

* * *

"They're always complaining! You did this, you didn't do that, blah, blah. Can't they just say 'thanks for doing our jobs for us' and let us be?" Sage grouched. He hated dealing with the Magic Council.

Rogue slid his eyes to his blue-haired companion, taking in every detail. Bangs covered the upper right side of his face so that only a lone red eye could be seen. A warrior's braid that reached his chin hung on the left side and brushed against two triangular marks there. The long, lean body was hidden beneath loose clothes. Only the deep V of the long-sleeved top gave any hint of the muscular body underneath, as well as the occasional glimpse of three jagged scars. A red scarf around the waist served as a belt to hold up the pants, which were tucked in to brown leather boots. The necklace with its thick gold chain and large pendant looked a bit out of place for the pirate look, but for some reason the man was never without it.

Sage Ferrio, Rogue knew, was a man of many hidden sides. The freelance mage was probably as smart as Levy, as strong as Gajeel, and as immovable as a mountain when he was set on something.

He also liked to complain a lot.

"Seriously, what's one patch if forest compared to the damage their little town would've gotten if those bandits had reached them?"

"We did bring those useless thugs here, though," Sting pointed out.

"Did not."

"Did too. They were after you, so it's the same as bringing them here."

"It's not my fault they were idiotic enough to think they could take me on!"

"They wouldn't have tried to take you on if you hadn't decided to bite off more than you can chew, you arrogant little idiot!"

"Don't call me arrogant! And don't tell me what I can and can't handle!"

"Someone needs to do it since obviously you don't know your own limits!"

Rogue decided to interfere before a brawl broke out. He felt like a referee, breaking up fights when the two argued (which was basically every time they spoke to each other). "The train to Magnolia will be leaving in an hour. Are we going or not?" All three of them had trouble with transportation, so it was a valid question.

Both his companions stared at him like he'd sprouted a second head before shouting in unison: "Hell no!"

 _Well, that's one thing we all agree on anyway_ , he thought with some amusement. Then he remembered how many fights he'd had to break up on the way to Bosco, and barely resisted the urge to groan.

_I don't know what's worse, being motion sick for three whole days or staying with these two for a week._

* * *

"This feels good!" A laugh followed the statement, along with the ringing of steel against steel.

Wendy watched, fascinated, as Dealina and Erza exchanged blows, leaping away from each other before clashing once more. Only a couple of days had passed since Dealina's call, and already the mage was back in fighting form. The teen was amazed at the fast rate that the blonde sword wielder had recovered from her injuries.

"Th-that's alright for now, thank you," she called out. The two women before her hesitated before disengaging again, reluctant to end their fun.

"Dealina-san, you seem to be fully recovered. You didn't experience any discomfort while fighting?"

"Not at all. Actually it felt good to have some exercise again." Dealina cut her sword through air as if to prove her point.

"Then you're approved for physical activity."

The older girl smiled and took Wendy's hands in hers. "Thanks a lot Wendy-chan! I wouldn't have recovered the quickly without your help."

"Actually I think you would have, but you're welcome. It was no trouble. Just please take it easy for the next little while, to be sure." Wendy turned to Erza. "I'll be leaving now. I'm supposed to go with Jet-san and Droy-san to the capital today."

"Take care then, and don't let those two drag you into trouble."

The teenager giggled before waving goodbye and turning away. Both women watched until she was out of sight.

Dealina turned to Erza when the other woman sighed heavily. "Is something wrong Erza-san?"

The knight smiled a little. "Nothing really. I just remember when Wendy was younger. Most of her missions were with Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and me."

The blonde tilted her head curiously. "You worked as a group?"

"Yes, for a while. But after our first Games... Well, we sort of just grew apart. Wendy didn't work with anyone for a while and neither did Natsu."

"Natsu-san?" Dealina asked with surprise. "But he's always working with Lucy-san, isn't he?" In the span of time she'd been at Fairy Tail, she'd seldom seen the Stellar Mage without the flame user.

Erza headed towards the tree where they'd stashed their things. "Usually yes, but that wasn't always the case." She sat down and patted the ground beside her. "Sit. We might as well get some rest while I tell you a story."

Dealina hesitated. "Are you sure it's alright to tell it to me?"

"The whole guild knows this anyway."

"But I'm not a guild member," the younger mage replied doubtfully. Still, she sat down.

"Not officially," Erza said with a smile. She'd seen the way the others had smoothly integrated the girl to their daily routines. "Anyway. Several years ago, Natsu was searching for his adopted father when he met Lucy in Hargeon. He accidentaly freed her from a Charm Spell and to show her appreciation, she treated him and Happy to a meal, in the process telling them about how much she wanted to join a mage guild, preferably Fairy Tail. She didn't know that Natsu was a mage, too. They parted after that, but met again when he rescued her from a mage—the same one who was using Charm—planning on selling her and some other girls to the slave trade. The rescue caused some... conflict with the Magic Council, and they ended up escaping together. They've pretty much stayed that way since then."

"But you said Natsu-san and Wendy-chan stopped working with others for some time?"

"Yes. You've heard about the Day of the Seven Dragons, right?" Dealina nodded. "We were in the thick of things during that fight, what with the guild participating in the Games and having four Dragon Slayers.

"There were several times during the battle when we thought we would lose. We'd lost countless fighters, many were injured, and the Slayers were already exhausted. The dragons had all but wiped out Crocus.

"We were about to withdraw our forces when three more dragons came. Cobra warned us, and we were preparing to retreat when Wendy, Natsu, and Gajeel suddenly stopped.

"I was with Wendy at the time, and I remember being confused when I saw her smile. Here we were, in the middle of a losing battle against dragons that would decide humankind's fate, and the Sky Maiden was smiling like she'd just seen the most beautiful sight in the world.

"A few seconds after that, Natsu and Gajeel started going crazy and shouting. I think at first everyone thought they'd lost their minds." The Titania laughed a little at this. "I certainly did. It took us a few more minutes to hear what had gotten then so caught up.

"There were, as Cobra had warned, three more dragons. However instead of more enemies like he'd assumed, they turned out to be allies—Natsu's, Wendy's, and Gajeel's adopted parents." Erza turned to Dealina. "I'm sure you've heard of the details—Ultear's and the three dragons' sacrifice, the battle, and everything else." She waited for a nod of confirmation before continuing. "Well, there was one thing we managed to keep from the public. As far as they're concerned, there are no casualties from Sabertooth and Fairy Tail. That's not actually true."

"But," Dealina interrupted, "the Magic Council kept detailed records of all the losses and deaths."

"Yes, that's true," the redhead replied patiently, "but the circumstances were… unique enough that the Council decided to keep it quiet. You see, there was a device called the Eclipse Gate, a weapon that they'd developed supposedly for the Eclipse Project, and it collected magical energy from the participants of the Grand Magical Games, every year. But—"

"Wait, why do you say 'supposedly'? The royal family admitted as much, and the Council confirmed it."

Erza was surprised at the girl's demanding tone but answered evenly, "Well there are some inconsistencies with the facts. Part of the reason they agreed so easily when Master requested that they keep quiet about those persons is because it simplifies things for them."

"'Those persons'?"

"Yes. One of them was the only casualty from Fairy Tail: Lucy."

There was a moment of silence. "But Erza-san," the younger mage said uncertainly, "Lucy-san is alive. I just saw her this morning."

"Yes, but you see… Hmm, how to say this?" Erza was silent for a few seconds. "Well, originally they stated that the purpose of the Eclipse Gate was to fulfill the Eclipse Project. It's a plan to use the Gate as a passage to the past and eliminate Zeref before he becomes immortal. But later on, during the Games, the princess herself admitted that the actual purpose of the Gate was for the Eclipse Cannon - using the Gate as a weapon to save Fiore from the threat that a certain person had warned her about.

"The person she was talking about was Lucy… from the future. That Lucy came from the future using the Eclipse Gate, hoping to change the outcome of the fight."

Both fell silent again, Erza trying to come up with a better way to explain and Dealina trying to process all the information. Finally she asked, "But where's the inconsistency?"

Erza sighed a little.  _This is such a pain to explain to people who don't know all the facts,_  she thought. Aloud she said, "During the X791 Games, the Eclipse Gate had been gathering magical energy for seven years. Something as big, as complicated, and as magically complex as that would take at least two years to construct, so it's safe to say that the Gate had been started around X782. However, Future Lucy came through the Gate at X791, which means there's no way she could have warned the princess of the need for the Gate in the first place. Are you following me?"

"Vaguely… So it's possible that the princess was lying about the Gate being a weapon specially built for saving Fiore."

"Yes. Or maybe she was just told that, and didn't bother to investigate further."

"Maybe… But considering all these facts, don't you think it's possible that the Gate was actually built for the Eclipse Project? Future Lucy is proof that the Gate is some kind of time-traveling device."

Erza nodded slowly, looking up at the clouds. "Maybe. But for some reason Master doesn't think so. Either way, the Council was desperate enough to hide the true use of the Gate that they agreed to our request."

"Why did you make the request in the first place?"

"Because it was Rogue who killed Lucy," the redhead said buntly.

Dealina's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. " _Rogue?!_  Rogue Cheeney, the Shadow Dragon Slayer of Sabertooth?!  _That_  Rogue?!"

A red eyebrow quirked up at the violent reaction. "In a sense, yes. But the Rogue I'm talking about is from the future, the same time as Future Lucy. He's the other casualty that they never mentioned, because explaining him meant explaining how and why he came to this time. He merely followed to make sure his plans were followed."

"His plans?"

A nod. "The dragons came from the Gate—another fact to support the Eclipse Project theory. According to her diary, which we found after the figght, Future Lucy was told that opening the Eclipse Gate would prevent the dragons from destroying Fiore, so she informed the princess. However for some reason she found out the truth during her stay in this time and was in the process of informing the royal family, but was constantly thwarted by circumstances. Future Rogue found out what she was trying to do and killed her in front of Natsu."

A sharp gasp made the redhead glance questioningly at her companion. "So that's why Natsu-san stopped working with you. He felt guilty for letting her die," Dealina explained.

"That's correct," Erza said with a smile. "You seem to understand Natsu quite well."

The other woman looked quite flustered at this. "Oh, well, that's… It's how I would feel. It's quite a standard response." She tilted her head. "But they seem to have cleared that up by now. They pretty much stay glued together when they're at the guild."

"That's right. A few weeks before you arrived at the guild, Natsu admitted that he's trying to make it up to her. They're planning on going for an extended trip together so they're taking as many missions as they can to accumulate spending money."

"That sounds nice." The nostalgic smile on the girl's face had Erza raising an eyebrow but before she could comment on it, bells sounded from the town. A minute later, the town itself started to shift into a familiar formation.

"Ah. Gildarts has arrived." Erza stood up after the ground stopped shaking and picked up her belongings. She gestured to Dealina to do the same.

As she obliged, the younger mage asked, "What happened to the town? And who's Gildarts?"

"It's called the Gildarts Formation. Gildarts is a Fairy Tail mage and uses a very powerful and destructive magic. The Formation is to prevent unnecessary damage since he can be pretty forgetful about just how much strength he has and uses his magic absentmindedly."

Erza noted the incredulous expression on Dealina's face and laughed. "Yes, it  _is_  pretty weird and a quite careless, but that's exactly what the formation is for. Now come on, Cana said he has a letter from the king of Fiore addressed to the whole guild."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	6. Admission

Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of the most notorious guild in all of Fiore (if you ask the Magic Council, that is) sat on his usual perch atop the rail of the second floor of said guild, observing his "children" with proud eyes. His grandson leaned against the wall behind him, eyes closed and pretending disinterest over his guild mates. Makarov knew better than to believe the blasé façade, however. Over the last few years, Laxus had become more involved with the welfare of the guild, going as far as to take it upon himself to prevent mages from taking any job requests that they weren't suited for and putting himself in charge of the guild's finances with Mira's help, saying that "if we leave these to you, you'd end up spending everything on women and beer."

Now, as they waited for Gildarts to arrive, the scarred blond asked his grandfather, "What do you think was so important that the king asked specifically for Gildarts to deliver this letter, Jiji?"

The spritely old man kept his eyes focused on the head of pink hair laughing at the bar, his gaze serious. "It may be related to the attacks that have been reported over the past few years."

Laxus' eyes blinked open in surprise. "What attacks?"

The guild master kept his eyes on the guild members and his voice low. "Since shortly after the X791 Grand Magical Games, there have been several reports of areas having been destroyed overnight. There was no pattern to the attacks, so it was impossible to predict or guard which one would be the next victim. The only reason that the Magic Council connected them was because the witnesses—those who were passing by and such—would sometimes report seeing strange flying creatures some time before the destruction. Also, the aftermath would always be the same: the village or the surrounding areas were all levelled out. In one case, a whole  _island_  vanished." Makarov laid his eyes on his grandson. "Sound familiar?"

The second-generation dragon slayer had lost all pretense of disinterest at this point. He had straightened up and was staring wide-eyed at his grandfather. "A-Acnologia?" he said disbelievingly.

Brown eyes took on a hard edge. "Possibly. The Magic Council and the Royal Family have been keeping it a secret, but a few months ago the king contacted me and told me about the situation. He was ready to take action at that time, but the Magic Council was adamant that they keep the 'trouble' quiet." At this, both men scowled.

"Pretentious bastards," Laxus growled out. "They probably just wanted to hide the fact that they weren't competent enough to take care of whatever has been destroying those villages."

Makarov did not say anything, but secretly agreed with his grandson. He understood politics, but the Council always took things too far. Lives were not playthings, and too many have already been lost because they wanted to keep their image of superiority.

Suddenly a tremor shook the town. When it ended, the small old man hopped down from his perch and headed downstairs. "There's Gildarts. Let's see what the king has to say."

* * *

Dark curly hair, pulled up in a messy tail, swung in time to the steps of booted feet on the cobbled streets of Magnolia. A forest green hooded cloak hid the young woman's body and face from view. Her father had insisted on it, both to avoid recognition and because he did not want any man ogling his daughter. He as well wore a cloak, although his was considerably more travel-worn than hers. She had tried to persuade him to get himself a new one (Mavis knew he could afford dozens if he so wanted them) but when he told her that it had been a parting gift from her late mother, she had given up. She knew how much he truly missed the woman.

Lavender eyes took in the appearance of the man walking alongside her. Although they were father and daughter, she looked nothing like him. His hair was short and light, whereas hers was long and dark. Underneath the cloak, her body was, in a word, voluptuous. He on the other hand was all hard muscles, well sculpted from years of fighting. His bandages were thankfully covered with a simple shirt this time, at her insistence. Her father was a good-looking man and it bothered her somewhat when women ogled and flirted with him. To make things more complicated, he would shamelessly flirt right back; much to his daughter's annoyance. She didn't begrudge him a love life, really, but did he have to flaunt it  _right in front of her?_

She could feel her irritation rising. To avoid yet  _another_  fight, she focused on another topic that had been on her mind since the start of their journey. "You didn't really have to bring me on this mission, did you?"

Olive green eyes blinked innocently at her. "What are you talking about, Cana?"

"Don't kid with me." Despite her best intentions, her irritation was spiking. She scowled up at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, old man. The palace requested you specifically, but you don't need a sidekick for a simple delivery mission. You could have travelled quicker and more discretely alone."

Gildarts was silent for a while. Then in a subdued voice he told her, "I wanted to keep you close. I had— _have—_ a bad feeling."

"That's it?" she asked deadpan. Then her voice became increasingly shrill as she continued. "You pulled me off from an urgent, high-paying inter-guild mission because you had a  _bad feeling?!_  I'm gonna kill you!" She raised her hands, intent on following up with her threat. He stopped her with one look.

"I'm serious. I've been taking missions since way before you were born, girl. I always have this feeling before things get fucked up."

That gave her pause. He was a true idiot-father, often being so exaggerated that it pissed her off at times. To see him so solemn was rare, so she took him seriously. Still, she wouldn't be Cana if she acted so agreeably. "Fine," she grumbled. "But if nothing happens you're gonna be paying for my booze for a year." So saying, she entered the guild.

And was greeted with an armful of drunken, half-naked man. "Cana~!"

"Get off of my daughter, you drunken excuse of a mage!"

As suddenly as she had been assaulted, she was freed. Cana opened her eyes to see her father standing in front of her in full overprotective daddy mode and blocking the rest of her view. Still, she knew without looking who he was facing off with. "What are you still doing here, Bacchus?"

"Aww~ can't a man come in just to see his friend?"

Her eyebrows twitched in irritation, as was wont to happen when the men in her life were around. Before she could cut him verbally—or possibly maim him physically—Makarov and Laxus had already reached them. The grave air around the two men silenced the whole guild. Every eye turned to them. Most had been aware of the Gildarts' strange mission, and they were all curious as to what the king had to say.

"The letter?" Makarov asked.

The tall redhead handed the smaller man the envelope saying, "Princess Hisui gave this letter to us herself. She said to only open the letter in the presence of those you would trust with your life, and no one else."

The old man looked at each member present, including the newly arrived Erza, Wendy, and Dealina. Holding the blonde girl's eyes, Makarov declared, "There is no one here that I would not trust with my life," and broke the seal.

A magic circle glowed from the paper, and an image of the princess, semi-transparent but recognizable to anyone, solidified. "Greetings, members of Fairy Tail. First of all, let me personally congratulate you for winning the Grand Magical Games once again. I wish I could have contacted you under better circumstances, but this matter must be attended to as soon as possible.

"As your master already probably knows, several villages and two minor cities in Fiore have been mysteriously wiped out overnight in the last three years. What he probably was not aware of is that these destructions have been happening since before X791. They started in another country, ten years ago. From the reports we received, the first such incident happened to a small island town a few miles south of Enca's eastern shore. The only survivor's statement… It would be best to just show you."

The image of the princess flickered before it changed to the face of a man, wrinkled and topped with wiry white hair. Even through the transparency of the projection the scratches and bruises could be clearly seen, but his eyes were what caught the attention of each and every person present. They were flat and empty, as if the world that surrounded him no longer held anything of interest. When he spoke, his voice was a raspy monotone, carrying no nuance at all.

"It came in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun was yet to climb the sky. We had just set out to sea to cast our nets. I was alone in my boat, as my son had been too sick to come that day, and his children were too small to help yet. I headed to where I knew there were more fish, farther away from the island than most would go.

"I don't know how long I waited there. I was lying in my boat, eyes closed, when I noticed the shadow passing overhead. I thought it was just the clouds passing by at first, but I remembered that we had a clear sky that night. I looked up, and there it was. A great big black dragon, flying straight to the island; I couldn't believe my eyes at first. It landed near the cliff, knocking down a few of the abandoned houses there with gusts of wind from its wings. It just stood there for a moment, looking down at the town. After a while it lifted its wings again, and I was so grateful that it was going to go without harming the island. Then it opened its mouth and roared.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened next. I can only remember hearing this deafening sound, and being blown back by what felt like hurricane winds. Then there was a bright light, and my boat capsized. I went under for a few seconds. When I surfaced again, the beast was already flying away and the whole island was gone. There weren't even any debris, aside from pieces of my boat. Everything, gone."

The old man's face was once again replaced by Princess Hisui's. "As you can see, there is frightening similarity to what happened to Tenrou Island. We suspect the dragon mentioned was Acnologia.

"There have been reports of strange creatures being sighted near some of the villages before or after they are attacked. Descriptions of these creatures vary slightly from sighting to sighting, but all agree that they look somewhat like dragons, though much smaller. There is a possibility that these creatures are connected to the attacks, but we have no proof.

"What we ask of you is to find out more about these matters. Information regarding the dates and places of the attacks as well as reports of the strange creatures are included in this letter. "

For a moment the princess lost the official detachment that had surrounded her for most of the message, and showed the concern she felt. "Please, Master Makarov. You and your guild are the best hope that we have. These attacks must be stopped before more lives are lost." Then the image vanished, leaving the guild in heavy silence.*

* * *

Lucy glanced warily at Natsu, aware of the possible repercussions of this news to her friend. Dragons were a touchy subject for the three dragon slayers and for it to be mentioned so close to the anniversary of The Day of the Seven Dragons was playing with fire. Literally, in Natsu's case.

Wendy's soft voice broke the silence. "What is your decision, Master?"

"I will not be the one deciding this. Gajeel, Wendy, Natsu, Laxus," Makarov called, looking at each of them in turn. "You will be the ones most affected by this. What do you say?"

Laxus smirked from where he leaned against the bar. "I still have a bone to pick with Acnologia."

The Iron Dragon Slayer just cracked his knuckles. "Been a long time since I had a real challenge. I'm in."

Little Wendy stepped up, standing near in front of the two older slayers with her fists clenched at her sides. "It's a dragon slayer's job to take care of dragons."

Without saying a word, Natsu stood up and walked out. People were surprised; over the last few weeks he had been acting more and more like his pre-X791 self and most had assumed that he was finally fully back to normal.

Silence reigned as Lucy hurried to follow him, throwing an "I'll talk to him" behind her.

She stayed quiet when she caught up to him, not entirely sure if he was even aware that she was there. She didn't pay attention to where they were going (Natsu never got lost,  _ever_ ); instead she thought of what could be the cause of his odd behavior. She knew better than anyone else how hard he was working to right things with the guild again. Dragons were a touchy subject around any of the first and third generation slayers, but she never would have expected that he would walk out at the mention of one. There had to be another problem, but what?

Sensing that they had stopped, she looked around. She realized that he had brought them to the lake where he often brought Happy to fish. She found Natsu perched on a flat boulder near the shore, elbows on knees and head down. Saying nothing, she sat next to him.

"We're not gonna help this time," he said after a long silence. He didn't look at her.

"Okay. Will you at least tell me why?" she asked softly.

"It's too dangerous."

Her head swiveled so fast, she was half afraid she might get a whiplash. That answer was not like Natsu.  _At all_. Before she could ask, he spoke again. "There's already too many times that I almost lost you. I won't,  _can't_  let that happen again."

Her br

Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of the most notorious guild in all of Fiore (if you ask the Magic Council, that is) sat on his usual perch atop the rail of the second floor of said guild, observing his "children" with proud eyes. His grandson leaned against the wall behind him, eyes closed and pretending disinterest over his guild mates. Makarov knew better than to believe the blasé façade, however. Over the last few years, Laxus had become more involved with the welfare of the guild, going as far as to take it upon himself to prevent mages from taking any job requests that they weren't suited for and putting himself in charge of the guild's finances with Mira's help, saying that "if we leave these to you, you'd end up spending everything on women and beer."

Now, as they waited for Gildarts to arrive, the scarred blond asked his grandfather, "What do you think was so important that the king asked specifically for Gildarts to deliver this letter, Jiji?"

The spritely old man kept his eyes focused on the head of pink hair laughing at the bar, his gaze serious. "It may be related to the attacks that have been reported over the past few years."

Laxus' eyes blinked open in surprise. "What attacks?"

The guild master kept his eyes on the guild members and his voice low. "Since shortly after the X791 Grand Magical Games, there have been several reports of areas having been destroyed overnight. There was no pattern to the attacks, so it was impossible to predict or guard which one would be the next victim. The only reason that the Magic Council connected them was because the witnesses—those who were passing by and such—would sometimes report seeing strange flying creatures some time before the destruction. Also, the aftermath would always be the same: the village or the surrounding areas were all levelled out. In one case, a whole  _island_  vanished." Makarov laid his eyes on his grandson. "Sound familiar?"

The second-generation dragon slayer had lost all pretense of disinterest at this point. He had straightened up and was staring wide-eyed at his grandfather. "A-Acnologia?" he said disbelievingly.

Brown eyes took on a hard edge. "Possibly. The Magic Council and the Royal Family have been keeping it a secret, but a few months ago the king contacted me and told me about the situation. He was ready to take action at that time, but the Magic Council was adamant that they keep the 'trouble' quiet." At this, both men scowled.

"Pretentious bastards," Laxus growled out. "They probably just wanted to hide the fact that they weren't competent enough to take care of whatever has been destroying those villages."

Makarov did not say anything, but secretly agreed with his grandson. He understood politics, but the Council always took things too far. Lives were not playthings, and too many have already been lost because they wanted to keep their image of superiority.

Suddenly a tremor shook the town. When it ended, the small old man hopped down from his perch and headed downstairs. "There's Gildarts. Let's see what the king has to say."

* * *

Dark curly hair, pulled up in a messy tail, swung in time to the steps of booted feet on the cobbled streets of Magnolia. A forest green hooded cloak hid the young woman's body and face from view. Her father had insisted on it, both to avoid recognition and because he did not want any man ogling his daughter. He as well wore a cloak, although his was considerably more travel-worn than hers. She had tried to persuade him to get himself a new one (Mavis knew he could afford dozens if he so wanted them) but when he told her that it had been a parting gift from her late mother, she had given up. She knew how much he truly missed the woman.

Lavender eyes took in the appearance of the man walking alongside her. Although they were father and daughter, she looked nothing like him. His hair was short and light, whereas hers was long and dark. Underneath the cloak, her body was, in a word, voluptuous. He on the other hand was all hard muscles, well sculpted from years of fighting. His bandages were thankfully covered with a simple shirt this time, at her insistence. Her father was a good-looking man and it bothered her somewhat when women ogled and flirted with him. To make things more complicated, he would shamelessly flirt right back; much to his daughter's annoyance. She didn't begrudge him a love life, really, but did he have to flaunt it  _right in front of her?_

She could feel her irritation rising. To avoid yet  _another_  fight, she focused on another topic that had been on her mind since the start of their journey. "You didn't really have to bring me on this mission, did you?"

Olive green eyes blinked innocently at her. "What are you talking about, Cana?"

"Don't kid with me." Despite her best intentions, her irritation was spiking. She scowled up at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, old man. The palace requested you specifically, but you don't need a sidekick for a simple delivery mission. You could have travelled quicker and more discretely alone."

Gildarts was silent for a while. Then in a subdued voice he told her, "I wanted to keep you close. I had— _have—_ a bad feeling."

"That's it?" she asked deadpan. Then her voice became increasingly shrill as she continued. "You pulled me off from an urgent, high-paying inter-guild mission because you had a  _bad feeling?!_  I'm gonna kill you!" She raised her hands, intent on following up with her threat. He stopped her with one look.

"I'm serious. I've been taking missions since way before you were born, girl. I always have this feeling before things get fucked up."

That gave her pause. He was a true idiot-father, often being so exaggerated that it pissed her off at times. To see him so solemn was rare, so she took him seriously. Still, she wouldn't be Cana if she acted so agreeably. "Fine," she grumbled. "But if nothing happens you're gonna be paying for my booze for a year." So saying, she entered the guild.

And was greeted with an armful of drunken, half-naked man. "Cana~!"

"Get off of my daughter, you drunken excuse of a mage!"

As suddenly as she had been assaulted, she was freed. Cana opened her eyes to see her father standing in front of her in full overprotective daddy mode and blocking the rest of her view. Still, she knew without looking who he was facing off with. "What are you still doing here, Bacchus?"

"Aww~ can't a man come in just to see his friend?"

Her eyebrows twitched in irritation, as was wont to happen when the men in her life were around. Before she could cut him verbally—or possibly maim him physically—Makarov and Laxus had already reached them. The grave air around the two men silenced the whole guild. Every eye turned to them. Most had been aware of the Gildarts' strange mission, and they were all curious as to what the king had to say.

"The letter?" Makarov asked.

The tall redhead handed the smaller man the envelope saying, "Princess Hisui gave this letter to us herself. She said to only open the letter in the presence of those you would trust with your life, and no one else."

The old man looked at each member present, including the newly arrived Erza, Wendy, and Dealina. Holding the blonde girl's eyes, Makarov declared, "There is no one here that I would not trust with my life," and broke the seal.

A magic circle glowed from the paper, and an image of the princess, semi-transparent but recognizable to anyone, solidified. "Greetings, members of Fairy Tail. First of all, let me personally congratulate you for winning the Grand Magical Games once again. I wish I could have contacted you under better circumstances, but this matter must be attended to as soon as possible.

"As your master already probably knows, several villages and two minor cities in Fiore have been mysteriously wiped out overnight in the last three years. What he probably was not aware of is that these destructions have been happening since before X791. They started in another country, ten years ago. From the reports we received, the first such incident happened to a small island town a few miles south of Enca's eastern shore. The only survivor's statement… It would be best to just show you."

The image of the princess flickered before it changed to the face of a man, wrinkled and topped with wiry white hair. Even through the transparency of the projection the scratches and bruises could be clearly seen, but his eyes were what caught the attention of each and every person present. They were flat and empty, as if the world that surrounded him no longer held anything of interest. When he spoke, his voice was a raspy monotone, carrying no nuance at all.

"It came in the wee hours of the morning, when the sun was yet to climb the sky. We had just set out to sea to cast our nets. I was alone in my boat, as my son had been too sick to come that day, and his children were too small to help yet. I headed to where I knew there were more fish, farther away from the island than most would go.

"I don't know how long I waited there. I was lying in my boat, eyes closed, when I noticed the shadow passing overhead. I thought it was just the clouds passing by at first, but I remembered that we had a clear sky that night. I looked up, and there it was. A great big black dragon, flying straight to the island; I couldn't believe my eyes at first. It landed near the cliff, knocking down a few of the abandoned houses there with gusts of wind from its wings. It just stood there for a moment, looking down at the town. After a while it lifted its wings again, and I was so grateful that it was going to go without harming the island. Then it opened its mouth and roared.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened next. I can only remember hearing this deafening sound, and being blown back by what felt like hurricane winds. Then there was a bright light, and my boat capsized. I went under for a few seconds. When I surfaced again, the beast was already flying away and the whole island was gone. There weren't even any debris, aside from pieces of my boat. Everything, gone."

The old man's face was once again replaced by Princess Hisui's. "As you can see, there is frightening similarity to what happened to Tenrou Island. We suspect the dragon mentioned was Acnologia.

"There have been reports of strange creatures being sighted near some of the villages before or after they are attacked. Descriptions of these creatures vary slightly from sighting to sighting, but all agree that they look somewhat like dragons, though much smaller. There is a possibility that these creatures are connected to the attacks, but we have no proof.

"What we ask of you is to find out more about these matters. Information regarding the dates and places of the attacks as well as reports of the strange creatures are included in this letter. "

For a moment the princess lost the official detachment that had surrounded her for most of the message, and showed the concern she felt. "Please, Master Makarov. You and your guild are the best hope that we have. These attacks must be stopped before more lives are lost." Then the image vanished, leaving the guild in heavy silence.*

* * *

Lucy glanced warily at Natsu, aware of the possible repercussions of this news to her friend. Dragons were a touchy subject for the three dragon slayers and for it to be mentioned so close to the anniversary of The Day of the Seven Dragons was playing with fire. Literally, in Natsu's case.

Wendy's soft voice broke the silence. "What is your decision, Master?"

"I will not be the one deciding this. Gajeel, Wendy, Natsu, Laxus," Makarov called, looking at each of them in turn. "You will be the ones most affected by this. What do you say?"

Laxus smirked from where he leaned against the bar. "I still have a bone to pick with Acnologia."

The Iron Dragon Slayer just cracked his knuckles. "Been a long time since I had a real challenge. I'm in."

Little Wendy stepped up, standing near in front of the two older slayers with her fists clenched at her sides. "It's a dragon slayer's job to take care of dragons."

Without saying a word, Natsu stood up and walked out. People were surprised; over the last few weeks he had been acting more and more like his pre-X791 self and most had assumed that he was finally fully back to normal.

Silence reigned as Lucy hurried to follow him, throwing an "I'll talk to him" behind her.

She stayed quiet when she caught up to him, not entirely sure if he was even aware that she was there. She didn't pay attention to where they were going (Natsu never got lost,  _ever_ ); instead she thought of what could be the cause of his odd behavior. She knew better than anyone else how hard he was working to right things with the guild again. Dragons were a touchy subject around any of the first and third generation slayers, but she never would have expected that he would walk out at the mention of one. There had to be another problem, but what?

Sensing that they had stopped, she looked around. She realized that he had brought them to the lake where he often brought Happy to fish. She found Natsu perched on a flat boulder near the shore, elbows on knees and head down. Saying nothing, she sat next to him.

"We're not gonna help this time," he said after a long silence. He didn't look at her.

"Okay. Will you at least tell me why?" she asked softly.

"It's too dangerous."

Her head swiveled so fast, she was half afraid she might get a whiplash. That answer was not like Natsu.  _At all_. Before she could ask, he spoke again. "There's already too many times that I almost lost you. I won't,  _can't_  let that happen again."

Her brows furrowed. He wasn't making any sense. "What do you mean, Natsu? What are you talking about?"

He finally raised his face, but he still did not meet her eyes. He kept his on the horizon, as if looking at her was painful for him. "Like I said. I've failed too many times in protecting you. This time, I'm not taking the risk. Lucy," he finally turned to her, "I know I haven't been good at keeping you safe before, but—"

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about? When have you ever 'failed' to keep me safe?" she asked incredulously. She was thoroughly confused.

Frustration was written clearly on his face. "Many times," he answered. "Before Tenrou, when we went to missions you almost always get hurt. At the battle with Jellal at the tower. That time in Edolas. The fight with Oracion Seis during the inter-guild mission. When Phantom tried to get you. Hell Lucy, that clock thing from the skirmish with Zentopia nearly funking  _absorbed_  you!" The dragon slayer's agitation was obvious as he spoke. His fists clenched at his hair before moving to cover his face. When he spoke next, his voice was muffled. "You were killed right in front of my eyes," he added bleakly. Her eyes widened at this. "And I wasn't even able to  _fucking move_." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't risk losing you again, Lucy. I just can't."

For a moment she was so stunned, she couldn't speak. Her brain tried to process the situation all at once—his words, his obvious distress, his baffling (and frankly hurtful) avoidance since the X791 Games; the over-protectiveness she'd noticed since they'd started doing missions again. At first nothing made sense. Then, like the sun shining after a long period of rain, realization broke through.

"You mean… all this time… Natsu…" For once, the aspiring writer was at a loss for words, but she persevered. This was too important. Taking a centering breath, she tried again. "Natsu, is there any chance that you've been avoiding me for the past three years because you felt guilty? Because of what happened at the Grand Magical Games?"

Natsu did not look at her. He just nodded, fully expecting her to realize his incompetence and walk out of his life, or demand that he walk out of hers. He was so wrapped up in fear that he almost jumped when he felt her arms wrap around him. He realized she was speaking, and tried to make sense of her words.

"…absolute, complete  _idiot!_  None of that was your fault! For Tenrou's sake, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now if it weren't for you. Natsu." He felt her pull away, only to place her hands on either side of his face to force him to look at her. "Listen to me. It's true that I get hurt on missions a lot. But it's not your fault. No,  _listen,_ " she insisted when he tried shaking his head. "It's not your fault. Mages get hurt on missions. It's an occupational hazard. But remember this the next time you feel like you've failed to protect me, Natsu: in each and every event that you've mentioned, you were the reason that I came out alive. You've always been there to protect me, no matter what."

"But when you were k-killed…"

"Still not your fault. No one could have predicted what Future Rogue would do." She sighed here, knowing that her next words would not agree with her companion. "Natsu, as much as appreciate it, it's not your duty to protect me. I know we're friends and that I'm your teammate but…"

Natsu was already shaking his head. "It's not that, Luce. At least, not just that." He gathered his courage before proceeding. "When I was young, Igneel told me… He said that a dragon only has one mate in its lifetime. She must be protected at all costs because if she's lost, the dragon would lose all its reason for being. There's a large possibility that a dragon, or a dragon slayer, who losses its mate would go feral like Acnologia." He debated if he should tell her or not, then decided to hell with it. Win or lose, it was now or never, because he doubted he would ever again find the courage to say what he would say, and she had to at least know. He took a deep breath and held her eyes.

"Lucy, you're my mate."

ows furrowed. He wasn't making any sense. "What do you mean, Natsu? What are you talking about?"

He finally raised his face, but he still did not meet her eyes. He kept his on the horizon, as if looking at her was painful for him. "Like I said. I've failed too many times in protecting you. This time, I'm not taking the risk. Lucy," he finally turned to her, "I know I haven't been good at keeping you safe before, but—"

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about? When have you ever 'failed' to keep me safe?" she asked incredulously. She was thoroughly confused.

Frustration was written clearly on his face. "Many times," he answered. "Before Tenrou, when we went to missions you almost always get hurt. At the battle with Jellal at the tower. That time in Edolas. The fight with Oracion Seis during the inter-guild mission. When Phantom tried to get you. Hell Lucy, that clock thing from the skirmish with Zentopia nearly funking  _absorbed_  you!" The dragon slayer's agitation was obvious as he spoke. His fists clenched at his hair before moving to cover his face. When he spoke next, his voice was muffled. "You were killed right in front of my eyes," he added bleakly. Her eyes widened at this. "And I wasn't even able to  _fucking move_." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't risk losing you again, Lucy. I just can't."

For a moment she was so stunned, she couldn't speak. Her brain tried to process the situation all at once—his words, his obvious distress, his baffling (and frankly hurtful) avoidance since the X791 Games; the over-protectiveness she'd noticed since they'd started doing missions again. At first nothing made sense. Then, like the sun shining after a long period of rain, realization broke through.

"You mean… all this time… Natsu…" For once, the aspiring writer was at a loss for words, but she persevered. This was too important. Taking a centering breath, she tried again. "Natsu, is there any chance that you've been avoiding me for the past three years because you felt guilty? Because of what happened at the Grand Magical Games?"

Natsu did not look at her. He just nodded, fully expecting her to realize his incompetence and walk out of his life, or demand that he walk out of hers. He was so wrapped up in fear that he almost jumped when he felt her arms wrap around him. He realized she was speaking, and tried to make sense of her words.

"…absolute, complete  _idiot!_  None of that was your fault! For Tenrou's sake, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now if it weren't for you. Natsu." He felt her pull away, only to place her hands on either side of his face to force him to look at her. "Listen to me. It's true that I get hurt on missions a lot. But it's not your fault. No,  _listen,_ " she insisted when he tried shaking his head. "It's not your fault. Mages get hurt on missions. It's an occupational hazard. But remember this the next time you feel like you've failed to protect me, Natsu: in each and every event that you've mentioned, you were the reason that I came out alive. You've always been there to protect me, no matter what."

"But when you were k-killed…"

"Still not your fault. No one could have predicted what Future Rogue would do." She sighed here, knowing that her next words would not agree with her companion. "Natsu, as much as appreciate it, it's not your duty to protect me. I know we're friends and that I'm your teammate but…"

Natsu was already shaking his head. "It's not that, Luce. At least, not just that." He gathered his courage before proceeding. "When I was young, Igneel told me… He said that a dragon only has one mate in its lifetime. She must be protected at all costs because if she's lost, the dragon would lose all its reason for being. There's a large possibility that a dragon, or a dragon slayer, who losses its mate would go feral like Acnologia." He debated if he should tell her or not, then decided to hell with it. Win or lose, it was now or never, because he doubted he would ever again find the courage to say what he would say, and she had to at least know. He took a deep breath and held her eyes.

"Lucy, you're my mate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I was very tempted to end the chapter then and there, but it seemed cruel, especially after the long absence.
> 
> It's been a long time since I've watched the anime or read the manga, so forgive me if they are too OOC (but please keep in mind the events that have taken place in this AU).
> 
> Chapter title refers to the admission of the Royal Family about the attacks and Natsu's confession of Lucy's true meaning to him.
> 
> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	7. General notes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since, despite my promise to my old readers, I honestly cannot see this story being continued anymore, I now post the general outline I had made for this story. To those old readers who will find this, I am sincerely sorry for disappearing and discontinuing this. Thank you for the encouragements and cheers I received all those years ago.

Another world revised

 

General: ~~Lucy and Natsu try to reconcile with the events of the Day of the Seven Dragons. A few weeks before the leave for the Bosco mission, Levy brings back a wounded Dealina, who a week later is fetched by Sage.~~ (Note that during this week she worked with Juvia, finally using her magic. Incorporate bits of "I Love My Guild, and the mission details from chapters 12 _FirstMision_ and 13 _Aftermath//Artifact_ of the original outline)

 

 ~~The king of Fiore sends out a letter to FT, asking for help regarding the numerous towns that have been destructed since the X791 Games~~ (this is because it was around then that Dealina and Sage started going out since being freed from Tenroujima). Although Zeref has controlled Acnologia a few months after the disappearance of Tenrou, they stayed low. When Zeref found out that Dealina and Sage were already in Earthland, he decided to lure them out by attacking towns everywhere. He started this a few months after Tenroujima vanished (March X785). Then during the X791 Games he heard rumours regarding the pair, so he moved to terrorizing Fiore.

 

While on another mission trying to save up for their vacation, they encounter the two again, who turn out to be independent mages with personal and mysterious pasts. They are both looking into the same thing: a series of events near Mt. Hakobe where several towns have been hit, all mages dead due to draining of their life force. It turns out to be Mimic, a relic of Zeref's that replicates a mage's powers by draining them, allowing its weilder to use the power. Luckily it does not work on weilder-type magic, so Lucy saves the day. After learning that Fairy Tail has direct dealings with Zeref, Dealina and Sage accompany Natsu and Lucy back to the guild to learn more.

 

After several weeks during which Dealina and Sage take on missions with Natsu and Lucy and Gajeel and Levy respectively, Makarov (prompted by Mavis) suggests that they officially join the guild. They agree, and become able to see Mavis. They recognize her from paintings of the Legend of La Cien Monde de Ciel, and are surprised that she recognizes the name they call her (mere de dragon *check French dictionary). The others wonder at this, and they explain that they are originally from LCMdC, and explain how the dragons actually came from 400 years ago from their world and not Earthland. *keep in mind that they arrived around the time the S-Class exam started and were Frozen along with the Tenrou Group *follow original story from here.

 

In LCMdC, Acnologia is the son of Zeref (magician) and Mavis (half dragon) whom he imprisoned and impregnated with black magic, resulting into the magically-enhanced dragon. The sons of the Fire Dragon Igneel and Iron Dragon Metellicanna (Natsu and Gajeel of LCMdC who are already half human) found their true mates in humans, and had children (who looked more like humans but are able to take on dragon attributes). They sent their children to train with their allies (Water Dragon Juvia and Ice Dragon Gray) but an attack by Acnologia (who is Lucy’s younger half-brother via Zeref) kills off Natsu and Lucy ( ~~Dealina reveals this much to Lucy but without mentioning names~~ ). Gajeel and Levy send them to Earthland to hide. Unfortunately Zeref was sent with them although 400 years into the past (the magic they used is Time and Space Warping, which would explain why the dragons and Zeref were sent back 400 years while Sage and Dealina only by 20 years) with the dragons, who came with them accidentally (they were battling Zeref nearby, and their great stores of magical energy is what caused them to be sent back for more years than the other two fledgelings).

 

It turns out that the Spirit World connects all worlds, and Loke recognizes Dealina as the one who gave him the nickname as a child just before he was banished. By her request he doesn't tell Lucy the truth, since he is under the obligation to obey the Princess of the Stars.

 

After Levy finds out how to destroy Mimic, they head to Sabertooth to ask Sting for help. Gajeel, Levy, Natsu and Lucy are asked to escort them since it is such a dangerous item. More clues as to the two mage's parentage appear, but only Levy seems to get it. She sticks close to Sage, but Gajeel doesn't feel jealous even though Lucy teases him about it.

 

They arrive at Sabertooth and Sting agrees to help, in exchange for a day with Lucy) just to piss Natsu off). Natsu and Dealina react violently, but Lucy accepts anyway. The two spend the day sulking while Sting takes Lucy out, where it turns out that Sting makes Lucy suspicious of Dealina's and Sage's past. He states that she has no clue, and that if Natsu was idiot enough to not “sniff it out”, he'd let them guess for a little while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


	8. Original outline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This I believe was the first and original outline of chapters for TBDAHSP.

1\. Prologue: A New World

Dealina and Sage arrive in Hargeon for the first time. They try to figure out where they are, and hear the news about the Fire Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail being responsible for the destruction of a big part of town. They also see a flash of Natsu’s guild mark as he runs by. They remember the last words their parents tell them, how they should help change the future of another world, and how they should go to a place full of fairies and dragons. They don’t figure it out though, and end up meeting Zeref in the outskirts of Hargeon. He unintentionally unleashes his magic, but the two are able to shield themselves with the help of their Restriction Stones (Dealina’s arm bracelet and Sage’s earring). Zeref takes them in, curious about their abilities and immunity.

2\. Chapter 1: Discoveries

Almost three years after Zeref left them, Dealina and Sage are working as (very) young independent mages, and they eventually come across a member of Fairy Tail (Max) losing against a wyvern. They save him, and they ask what the thing was. They are surprised at what he says, and he asks them why they don’t know about wyverns. They make up an excuse, and Max invites them to Fairy Tail as thanks for saving him. When they arrive, they see a painting of Natsu by Reedus, and they suddenly remember seeing Natsu years ago. They also finally figure out what their mother had been saying, and work out that since the “dragons” had already disappeared, then they’ve already failed. They head out, and meet fifteen-year-old Sting and Rogue. The two dragon slayers notice that they’re different, and they say that they are also dragon slayers (although they’re not) as an excuse. They are then challenged to a fight, but Dealina hides behind Sage, stating that she doesn’t want to use magic, and Sting scoffs and says that a slayer with no magic (he assumes this) is useless. He walks away, but before Rogue follows he says that magic isn’t the only way to win. *(note that while talking to Max he uses no names as they refused to give it to him)

3\. Chapter 2: Return

Almost seven years after arriving in Hargeon, Dealina and Sage hear about the return of the “Tenrou Group” during a mission involving the theft of an item that is suspected to have been made by Zeref. They are happy about the news, as it means they will still have the chance to fulfill their duty. However they could not return to Fiore immediately since they still have to finish their mission, and the journey will likely take months especially since they want to avoid trains (motion sickness) and they are in Pergrande. *(put emphasis on mission since it will be used later; another of Zeref’s artifacts has been stolen, what they suspect to be a necklace that possesses its wearer; the “host” is then compelled by the necklace to attack whoever they deem has done them wrong, and drains the “enemy” of magic power, a death sentence for a wizard—explained as: when a wizard says he is drained of magic power, it only means that his extra reserve that allows him to use his magic is depleted; for wizards, magic is their source of life, so if a wizard is truly drained, he dies”—Sage and Dealina talk about this, how dangerous it is in the wrong hands, and how they need to find it)

4\. Chapter 3: Battle

They arrive in Fiore just in time to see the dragons arriving. They join in the fight, and eventually work their way to where Fairy Tail is. They see the fading bodies of the dragons, and are also able to hear the last massages thanks to their dragon blood. They are stunned, but when the dragons start attacking, they fight along with all the other Guilds; they see Sting and Rogue again, as well as Max and Hibiki and the others fighting *(more of an observer story than action). They also see Gajeel defeating a dragon and turning to look for Levy; however another dragon was going for him just then, and Dealina and Sage work together to protect him. Gajeel notices them and snarls a thank you before heading towards Levy. The battle progresses until the three dragons arrive (Grandeeney, Igneel, Metallicana). *(incorporate the pieces from Natsu’s story, Grief and Redemption).

5\. Chapter 4: Almost

The Eclipse is reopened, and the dragons are forced back to L’Acien Monde de Ciel. Dealina and Sage are almost swept up too, but Gajeel saves them saying that his debt was repaid. Zeref arrives, and upon his order, Acnologia turns away. Zeref also vanishes after looking at Dealina and Sage. Everyone is bewildered as to why Zeref did this; to help them or for his own evil plans? Then as everyone settles down, Dealina notices that the three dragon slayers of Fairy Tail are quiet, and wonders why. Before she could ask, though, the king has ordered everyone to rest, stating that the repairs could wait until people have recovered. The guild masters gather their members (Minerva standing in for Sabertooth as Gemma had been killed), and as Makarov turns them towards what is left of Honeybone, Max notices the two. He invites them to go as well, and after a brief explanation, Erza agrees. Still, they decline, and go on their own way.

6\. Chapter 5: Spotted/Hiding

Three year later, Fairy Tail joins the GMG again. Dealina and Sage are there with Sabertooth but only because Rogue invited them. Fairy Tail still has a grudge against Sabertooth, although mostly only towards Minerva (although Lucy has forgiven her). Dealina and Sage watch from Sabertooth’s place, and Erza notices them and points them out to Max (she’s not competing due to an injury). Levy overhears and looks over and recognizes Sage from Gajeel’s description. She wonders why they are in Sabertooth but is distracted as their team enters the arena. Later she mentions to Gajeel, who expresses his disappointment, and Makarov hears this. He asks Gajeel about it, and he relates the time when they saved his life. Master announces that he has to thank them, and Gajeel makes a comment about how it is necessary and is abruptly hit over the head by Master. He gets irritated, demanding what the hell that was about and Makarov explains. He then asks Erza to accompany him since she knows them, and they set off. In Sabertooth’s hotel, they ask to talk to Minerva (now master of the guild since Gemma was killed by dragons) about the members and she explains that they are not part of the guild, just Rogues’s guests. Makarov asks where they are, and Minerva says they stay in a different place. Erza and Makarov leave, and Erza takes note of the big full moon. She excuses herself, and Makarov watches her go, wondering where she’s headed. *(maybe a Jerza moment? Also, still no names for Dealina and Sage)

 

7\. Chapter 6: Return

The GMG proceeds and Sabertooth are neck-and-neck with FT. Makarov wonders why he hasn’t seen Dealina and Sage *(still no names!) just as the two enter ST’s booth. They sit back, and Levy comments that Sage seems familiar somehow. Juvia (having been replaced by Erza; also, the guild has been told about their act, much to Gajeel’s consternation and Natsu and Gray’s amusement) agrees, saying that she feels the same way towards Dealina. They are distracted by the game “Dodge” (two players per team; concept same as dodge ball, but more teams; magic is used freely to their advantage; pair with most number of people hit in five minutes wins) and watch as Erza and Gray play against ST’s Sting and Rogue; LS’s Chelia and Yuka; MH’s Milliana and chubby girl; BP’s Eve and Ren; QC’s Bacchus and the yellow-haired one. As LS takes the first “it” place, Erza asks Rogue (who is as surprised as Sting) about his two friends. Rogue explains the circumstances (although he actually has a crush on Dealina and blushes when he mentions her; he also defends her against Sting) how he and Dealina stayed in touch after the almost-rivalry from teen years; Sting takes a shot at Rogue’s crush and makes a snide comment about her aversion to using magic. Erza wants to ask, although she is curious about this. The game proceeds, with FT, ST, and LS each having perfect points.  After the game, Erza asks if they could talk. Rogue agrees to deliver the message.

8\. Chapter 7: Purpose

Makarov receives a message from Rogue saying that the two have agreed to meet him, although they ask that he brings no other member. Mira objects, saying that they could be waiting to ambush him. However, Makarov decides to meet them alone, saying that he could take care of two brats. So he meets them near the city’s Central Park. He arrives early and waits, only to detect their presence after a few minutes. He tells them that ambushing him isn’t going to work, and Sage replies that they have no plans of doing that. Makarov wonders aloud why they won’t show their faces when he’s already seen them, and Dealina replies that what everyone has seen during the games are only altered versions of their faces. Master asks why they would do that and how, and Dealina replies that she has the ability to manipulate certain things that come in handy when wanting to hide. Before Makarov could ask, they explain that they want to avoid certain members of his guild, although they assure him that it has nothing to do with his children and everything to do with their circumstances. Makarov accepts this and leaves after saying thank you and that they are welcome at FT anytime. Dealina and Sage stay behind, and Dealina asks him if it is really necessary to avoid them. He confirms this, pointing out that they could “easily upset their world’s balance and further destroy their future” if they interfere too soon. Dealina thinks wistfully of her father, who died while she was young, wishing she could see him again and “feel the warmth of his flames”. *(try to hint just a little about their dragon parentage)

 

9\. Chapter 8: Mimic

The GMG is done, and Dealina and Sage leave ST again, promising only that they would return when they could. They head off to Midi, where a seaside village is complaining about pirates attacking them. The award is very large since many wizards have died trying to get rid of the pirates; the townspeople report that the corpses always have a burn-like mark in the center of their chest, and that their eyes and hair always turn white. This makes Dealina remember the necklace (Mimic) and they conclude that one of the pirates must have it. They move to retrieve it, fighting against mage pirates who mainly use water attacks (useless against Dealina since she controls sea water, which is where most the water comes from; she does not use her magic, but the water really has no effect except to enhance her battle strength) and Sage defeats the one wearing the necklace, a man who uses Take-Over: Mage (not a physical take over, only a skill brought by the necklace; he uses the magic trapped by the necklace from previous kills). *(try making it action-packed; if not, at least informative)

 

9.1 Chapter 8.1: Mourning

Insert Natsu's angst chappie here :) *(it happens a few days after the X794 GMG, a late celebration of Lucy's birthday)

 

10\. Chapter 9: Ambush

After retrieving Mimic, they head back to Fiore, knowing that only Sting’s holy magic can destroy the necklace. As they near Crocus, they notice that it is nearly full moon and decide to stay in the forest. Sage goes into town for supplies, while Dealina stays with their things. After Sage leaves, a bunch of thieves ambush Dealina; she summons her sword (Requip is the only magic she allows herself, and only because Sage forces her to) and fights them. She defeats six but is heavily injured, and even her magic (numbing pain) can’t prevent her from the dangers of losing blood. Meanwhile Levy’s team hears the battle noises and come to investigate. They save her, and before Dealina could talk, she faints, only faintly hearing Levy mention FT. *(they talk during the battle, which is how Levy knows her name and she knows Levy’s, Jet’s and Droy’s) *(if chapter is too short, include snippets of how they get to Magnolia).

 

11\. Chapter 10: Recovery

Dealina wakes up in FT’s sick bay, confused. Wendy is there, and asks her if she remembers anything. Flashback to how she arrived *(use the competition piece) and Wendy asks her if she needs anything. Dealina asks if Levy had thought to grab her things, or if they’ve heard anything about her companion. Since she didn’t see Wendy in the fight against dragons, she is surprised to realize that she is in FT, and realizes this only because Levy then goes inside the room to check on her. She asks again about her things (she is worried about Mimic) and Levy says that she did not take the time to grab anything; she had been more concerned about immediately treating Dealina. She asks worriedly if there is anything important she needs, but Dealina replies that her companion would take care of it, and was likely trying to look for her already. She tries to stand, and explains that she needs to find him soon, and so Wendy asks if she has any way to contact him. Dealina hesitates but mentions the small lacrima that had been in her bracelet; Levy realizes the problem and uses her magic, but to no effect. Dealina then says that it responded only to water magic (a trick on Sage’s part to force her to use her magic) so they call in Juvia. Dealina gets a shock as she remembers her mentor (a dragon, although not yet mentioned here). They contact Sage, who is already frantically looking for her, and they determine that it would take him at least two weeks to get to FT even riding a train (he’d gone as far as the Caelum kingdom to find her) and tells her to spend that time healing. She agrees, saying that she already feels better thanks to Wendy. 

12\. Chapter 12: First Mission

After being deemed well enough to take on missions again, Dealina insists that she somehow pay her keep. However her money is with Sage, so she decides to take on a mission. Hearing this, Juvia offers to take Dealina with her, which surprises Gray since she’d been in the middle of asking him. Juvia apologizes, but Gray dismisses it (although he’s obviously disappointed) saying that a water mage had been asked for, and wasn’t Dealina a water mage? People are curious about how he figured that out, and he explains about the lacrima, and Dealina agrees, saying only that she might not be as useful since she avoids using her magic. Natsu makes a snide comment about Gray’s intelligence, and another brawl ensues although by this time Dealina is more used to it. She and Juvia leave, heading towards Mt. Hakobe. They complete the mission *(refer to competition piece).

13\. Chapter 13:

Dealina and Juvia head back to FT, stopping by Oshibana town to take the train back to Magnolia. While waiting for the train which is for some reason delayed in Clover Town, they talk about FT, Juvia enlightening Dealina on the ways of the guild (the brawls, rivalries, and of course the bets about the love lives… and of course Juvia has a bet on hers and Gray’s pool). However when a conductor says that the train will not arrive until the next day due to a problem in the tracks, they choose a hotel to stay in for the night. They bed down, but in the middle of the night, a dark guild attacks (Phantom Blaze is famous for abusing women before robbing and killing them with fire). Since the dark guild focused its attack on the hotel and Dealina was restless and took a walk outside, Juvia is alone and taken captive. Dealina realizes the situation only when she sees the light of the fire burning the center of the town (where all the major buildings are, including the hotel). She rushes over in time to see Juvia struggling with three mages using Cursed Flames (flames that burns through anything it touches, so even Juvia is feeling the heat, but not completely burned). Dealina tries to help, but there are too many enemies for only two mages, one who uses only minimal magic. She realizes this, and knows that she must use her full magic but she’s scared. She remembers the times she’d seen (dragon) magic destroy: the day Sage’s father died, the day their hideout was attacked by wyverns, Acnologia’s almost-destruction of Tenrou Island, and finally her own father’s death at the hands of fellow dragons. But when she hears Juvia scream as some of the other Curse Flame users join against her, her determination rises. She shows Juvia one of the few attacks she’d been taught before she’d had to flee from her tutor; Sea Dragon’s Roar. Most of the dark guild is wiped with this move, and the rest are taken care of by the newly-arrived Rune Knights. She rushes over to the older woman, assures herself that she is safe despite having fainted.

 

14\. Chapter 14

Juvia wakes the next day, trying to remember what happened. When she sees the fire-damaged furniture, she remembers the attack and wonders if she imagined Dealina’s magic. At that moment the girl shows up bearing a tray of food. The girl talks to her and somehow they end up talking about Dealina’s magic. Dealina admits that she had been trained by a dragon, and also tells the story of why she refused to use magic. Juvia wonders aloud why the other dragon slayers did not detect her and she admits that she uses a concealment charm. Before Juvia could ask why, the town bell tolls and Dealina says that they must get ready for the journey back. The next scene jumps to them walking to the guild and Dealina commenting that it’s much noisier than usual. They enter to the sight of Gray having an ice-cold drinking contest with Sage. Natsu is in the background, shivering and insulting Gray as he watches the two (there is a significant change in his attitude since he has already had a talk with Lucy after her birthday which happened while Juvia and Dealina were away). Dealina notes this and Juvia explains the circumstances and states that she is glad to see him return to somewhat normal. Just then he puts his arm around Lucy’s shoulder and she turns her head to kiss his cheek. This causes the whole guild to freeze before Juvia erupts with raves about Lucy is no longer her love rival to Gray (to which the blonde mutters that she never was) . The whole guild soon deigns to interrogate them, and Sage and Dealina quietly reunite, with her asking him about Mimic. Sage assures her that he has it safe, Dealina worries about its tricky nature, and Mira overhears. The white-haired mage asks about this and they reluctantly explain. The rest of the guild is soon alerted to the sensitive artifact, and Makarov issues an order for Team Natsu as well as Gajeel and Levy to escort them to Sabertooth. The two initially refuse, but Makarov tells them that he is doing it for the citizens of Fiore, so they eventually agree.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tuzitokki), [AFF](https://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/1217835) and [Ask.fm](https://ask.fm/AngelusSuho)


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